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April Skies | Greetings from Laurel Canyon. . . spring time is here, well. . . at least it’s supposed to be?
Seems like so much is going on of late, tons of bands coming through LA around the Coachella Festival. Mercury in retrograde, dreaded tax deadlines, volcanic dust, birthdays, weddings, and gourmet food trucks. As it’s going here in California, by summer’s end all cuisine will be served out of a truck in “taco form.”
Just when you think the sun is going to come out it rains. With these thoughts in mind this week’s mix was inspired by looking up, in fact to the sky. My first thought was, “what’s next?” but let’s leave that thought behind for now.
As it poured Monday night, I started building this mix by listening to the obvious rain songs of old; “Happy When it Rains” and "Rainy Days and Mondays.” I was definitely digging on The Mary Chain and settled with “April Skies” as the lynch-pin of the set. I quickly compiled a ton of songs and spent the week narrowing to these 15 tracks—a rather moody and mellow Idelic Hour.
Highlights in the mix: dropping old locals Joni Mitchell and The Byrds with new songs by The National, Frightened Rabbit, Les Blanks and Avi Buffalo. The result—it’s a beautiful day in the canyon!
"When the invitation first came to be part of the Ardent Sessions, there was little to no hesitation. Of course, that's a yes. Ardent had served as a birthing place for so many artists that I revere, love and swear by and I sprung at the chance to be able to spend an evening soaking up the aura of such a special place. In many ways, it was a secret excuse to get to peak inside such a hallowed place. We spent most of our free time wandering around the halls, pulling one another aside to point out cool pieces of the space. In many ways, the toughest part about our trip to Memphis, was feeling like we didn't soil the grounds. How do you not feel a little silly knowing what has proceeded you in those rooms?
We walked from instrument to instrument, hammering out piano notes, running our hands across beautiful vintage gear. Studios are always a fun and childlike place, but this was different.
The most comforting part of all this, was to discover that Ardent was still filled with amazing people. People who really loved music, who were excited by it, loved discovering it, uncovering it. Each person we met that night had a fun glimmer in their eyes. They had been there so much longer than us and you got the sense that it was still fun for them. They loved that place, they loved what it meant to people, and they loved extending that legacy.
As I worked my way through my set, going from guitar to piano, the string players ringing through the room, the drums cracking, I felt like I was getting a unique chance to hear my songs differently. It was like picking up an old acoustic in a guitar store and playing something you've written or hearing your song being played in another room. Somehow, it feels different and fun and exciting.
My only regret is that we didn't have a chance to stay longer. To actually deconstruct some songs, try them with entirely different arrangements. Somehow, using the space, and the experience, to create a truly unique, Ardent-inspired work. We'd love to come back and continue our conversation with that amazing, amazing space."
Enter to win Keegan Dewitt's 'Islands' on vinyl by simply leaving a comment, your name, and a contact email address in the comments to this post. We'll choose one winner each Friday for that week's giveaway which ALSO includes the entire Ardent Music catalog. (That's just 2 artists at this point, but who's counting?)
To hear more great Ardent Sessions please visit Ardent Presents.
