2020 was a tough year for all of us. While I was trapped at home, I rediscovered a number of songs I'd written along the way that hadn't fit onto whatever album I was working on at the time. Some were silly, some were serious, but they seemed to fit the absurd lockdown moment we were collectively sharing. So I recorded them, along with some brand new songs, and the result is Lost Songs, a collection of 16 songs spanning years, moods and genres but that somehow all celebrate surviving 2020.
Despite covid limitations, the album features some great guest musicians, many recorded on my backyard patio. Players include Jackie Damsky (violin), Norman Zocher (pedal steel), and, from my '80s band Loose Ties, Barry Singer on piano and saxophone. Singers include Sarah Telford, Deede Bergeron, Brian Middleton and, notably, Rebecca Lynch, my singing partner from my Occidental College years, who takes the lead on "Brand New Laces (Same Old Shoes." The songs range from bluegrass to '60s folk-rock to acoustic swing, and there's even a polka. There's some social commentary ("Nickel Bag," about white privilege), some love songs ("Here's to Us") and almost-love songs ("She Never Looks Out the Window"), nostalgia ("Thirty-One Flavors") and anti-nostalgia ("Ex-Girlfriend Weekend." I had a blast recording it, and hope you enjoy it as well.
The physical CD is available at my website, and it's available to download/stream at iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. There's also a video of the opening track "Opposite Day" up on youtube. Thanks for listening and I hope it helps get you through 2021!
