Recording "Lucky Dogs"

As the release date approaches, I want to share my experience recording this new album. "Lucky Dogs" was a very fun album to create. I called some of my favorite musicians together, who I knew had a great chemistry with me and eachother. Rob Seifert Gage is a great producer and we work very well together. I trust his attention to detail which frees me up to focus on singing and playing and keeping the energy moving with the band. We both wanted a live feel on the album as that always works best with my music so we recorded everyone together at the same time. Many of the songs are exactly as we played them live with no overdubs and the album has very few overdubs as it is--only when necessary for sonic quality or to add extra instrumentation and arrangement. This is how I like my music because the vibe of the players really comes through. Everyone had strengths and expertise to bring to the table and we all shared our opinions and ideas. I prefer to work in an open style atmosphere where everyone can add their flavor to the mix and if somethings not working, we all figure out how to make it work. This creates a special bond between players and everyone comes from a place of honoring the song and what serves it best, not just how many cool licks they get to play on an album. Before each song, I would take out my guitar, explain where the song came from, and then play it for the band. I would express my thoughts on instrumentation and arrangement and then we start experimenting and improvising. After a while, we would know we were "there" and would hit record. There is something magical about a group of musicians looking eachother in the eyes, listening to eachother, and making sure that everyone is heard, everyone has a voice, and the song always comes first.

I feel blessed to have had this opportunity to create this record and the opportunity to share it!