My travels ran me around 47 U.S. states, landed me in Buffalo, returned me to Boston, brought me to Oklahoma City, and now I've finally come to rest (at least for the next few years) in Tulsa.
Tulsa, Oklahoma has an incredibly rich music history, which you should really learn about when you have the chance. Start with Leon Russell and J.J. Cale and Shelter Records and the Church Studio and just go from there.
At any rate, I've been gearing up these last few months to finish my fourth full-length Albatross and finally release it to the world. In December, I spent some time at Norman, Oklahoma's Blackwatch Studios to add some organ and accordion tracks. Next I'm planning on teaming up with an award-winning Tulsa producer and some great local string players. Finally, I hope to get the record to mix by sometime this fall and have it out by the end of the year.
For those of you still checking in, I appreciate your patience and support. It's easier to reward that support on a consistent basis when playing 100+ shows a year and getting new music out regularly. These last few years more or less off the road, writing and recording Albatross were a necessary step for my life. I'm not out there on the highway like I used to be, not seeing all of you as much as I'd like, but you have to believe me when I say I'm better for the change.
Making this record has also been an arduous, but cathartic trial. It has been an emotional and difficult process. But while it's almost become a cliche that every artist believes his new record is his best yet, I must admit I'm very excited about Albatross' artistic potential, probably the most excited I've been since before the release of Welcome to the Danger Show.
I'll leave it there for now. Before the record comes out, I'll unload a full-blown essay for anyone really curious about that record's background and message. In the meantime, thanks for listening, and hopefully there'll be news soon.
-Marc