“Ambitious, hypnotic, brooding, infused with sadness and joy, capturing the panorama of its physical and emotional canvas ... irresistible.”
- Mike Davies, Fatea
- Mike Davies, Fatea
|
|
“From Nashville to New Orleans evoking the desert landscapes and the joy of the freeway… the gumbo of origins that make the southern states the most musically creative place on earth…impressive” RnR Magazine June 2021
American Wilderness Odyssey: the project
|
So this it. We have explored what we came to call the moonshine, the myth and the madness of it all. Moonshine? Taking a few simple ingredients and conjure something raw and potent. Myth? Immersing ourselves in the legend of America that has so beguiled the world. And the Madness? Discovering the America that lies within a monster and an angel, and is a place of shape-shifters, where lawmen become outlaws and outlaws turn to the light.
|
"We really believed we were onto something and became obsessed with creating a cycle of songs as a kind of personal voyage of discovery through the American Heartlands. It was a kind of ‘let’s do this!’ moment! We could see at one level this was ‘nuts’. We had no backing, limited funds and didn’t even know if there was a real audience for what we were about to do. But we knew we had to let the genie in and see what happened..."
|
|
The songs from the project have all been written by Steve Bonham, Steve and Kev, and Steve and Chris. Their starting point is not first the songs of others but the deep well of individual experience. They were inspired by the people, the landscape, the stories and the spirit of the Southern States of the USA. . Steve trekked through the brooding old testament forests and mountains of Appalachia in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. He took road trips from Ashville to Nashville and New Orleans and then, trekking and driving, circumnavigated New Mexico. Kev set off in a classic old sedan to visit the hometowns and heroes of his youth spending six weeks on the road through Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana.
|
These songs taste gritty and real, the words rattling across the beat like a typewriter, raging against steel bars, painting images of hope and hurt, the dustbowl, downtown heartaches and impossible dreams ...
American Wilderness Odyssey: the companion
American Wilderness Odyssey: the tour
|
|
|
Subscribe to our mailing list
(We only send out mailings very infrequently, so you won't be bombarded - and you can unsubscribe easily, any time!) |
Part of the Artisan Creative network
|
