New Album "A Little Fight Left Yet" Available Now
When we chose this album title a few months ago, we had no idea how appropriate it would feel today. These are unprecedented times and we, like many of you, find ourselves turning to art for comfort and relief. Art in all its forms - music, dance, poetry, prose, painting, film, tv and comedy. Does wearing the same outfit for four days straight and eating popcorn for dinner also count as art? Then that too.
It's been really striking to notice that when the non-essentials are taken away, the yearning for human connection endures. I haven't made this many actual phone calls since high school. My ear hurts. It's also pretty inspiring to see the lengths that people will go to to stay connected. I watched Top Gun online with 10 people in different cities last night and I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. Who knew there were so many side-lit shots involving blinds in that movie? And why is every character sweating in almost every scene? What I'm trying to say is, we need each other, now more than ever.
This album is the result of over a year's worth of writing and recording together, and it features 11 of our original songs:
1. The Heart Will Buzz
2. Time
3. Oh Darlin' Don't You Know
4. Never Enough
5. Kennedy
6. Release Me
7. Born Grieving
8. Freshen Up
9. I Can't Recall
10. Job Song
11. The Ocean
A very special shout out to Brian, who produced and engineered the album, and who poured countless hours and energy into it. He also essentially taught himself to play drums and banjo in the process.Thank you to the spectacular musicians who joined us on this album: Drew Jurecka, Bret Higgins, Tim Watson and Amanda Walther. Thank you to Jen Squires for your stunning photos, and to Amanda Walther for your beautiful album design choices. Thank you to the inimitable Nick Austin at Indiepool - your responsiveness and expertise are much appreciated. And a final thank you to Brian's Instant Pot - your delicious and timely meals never ceased to make us say "THAT ONLY TOOK FIVE MINUTES?" and you fuelled many a late-night recording session.
If these days have taught us anything, it's that a) memes are the greatest, and b) connection is essential, which is to say that art is essential. Like everyone, musicians are very much feeling the dramatic impact of their normal activities coming to a halt. Sylvia Tyson has a great line in one of her songs that pretty much sums it all up: "No crowd, no show". Touring is a lifeline for most musicians. That's where we sell our cds (to those who still buy cds), and it's where we maintain and hopefully grow our fan base for the next time we come through town. Each show begets the next. Take the touring outlet away, and musicians are essentially left to rely on the income generated from streaming services which, it hardly even bears mentioning, is anything but a living wage. But maybe it does bear mentioning. Maybe this experience is precisely the wake up call necessary to reveal the degree to which so many creative people are teetering on the brink of unnecessary vulnerability. Maybe we'll all come away from this with a much altered sense of what, when it comes down it, we truly value.
Our hearts go out to the many people around the world who are suffering and sick as a result of this pandemic. None of us can be too cautious right now, and we encourage everyone to do their part to help slow and eventually stop the spread of this virus. In short, stay home and consume whatever art gets you through the night. And get that art directly from the source wherever possible.
If you'd like to support our music-making, please buy our album.
Thanks for listening,
Sheila and Brian