SHADES OF LIFE is now STREAMING!!
Thank you for your pre-order! Cutie Pie is a song I wrote for my daughter Ruth. In 2010, I didn't think I could love anything as much as my wife and my dogs. Ruth came along three years ago and changed everything. It's been a blast watching her grow up, witnessing her personality erupt, taking her to music classes and bluegrass festivals, getting her a uke, and singing silly songs together. All my mom-and-dad friends tell me that the time flies, and to enjoy these years. I get it. That's what this song is about. Ruth can be a lot…
Thank you for your pre-order! This song is Without Your Warmth, from my debut album Crossing The Black, performed live at the Alberta Street Pub in June 2015. If you like the video please share the pre-order link with your friends. This video is exclusive to folks who pre-order. Thank you for your support! https://kenchapple.com/crossing-the-black
This is a preview of a live video shot at the Alberta Street Pub in June of 2015. The audio and video are professionally recorded and totally live. Pre-order Crossing The Black to see see the full video, which features a performance of Without Your Warmth, one of my favorite songs on the CD. The full video will be released to folks who have pre-ordered on Wednesday, July 29th. The lyrics and music are delicate, yet dark. The pulse is driving, but the chorus and instrumental interludes are twisted around a groove in 7/8 time. The use of odd…
Got a band and some great songs and ready for the studio? I have made two "bluegrass" albums in the past 4 years and I'm working on a third. Disclaimer: I put bluegrass in quotes, because they are quite on the fringe, and many tunes are not bluegrass at all. The best way to record, is to experiment and find what works best for you and your band. I have come up with some techniques that I believe work best for me, but I'm still learning. Between my experience in the studio, talking to other musicians and reading up, here…
This old Appalachian murder ballad with Irish roots has been done over and over again by greats such as Charlie Monroe, The Stanley brothers who recorded the song twice in the 50s, the Everly Brothers and even Norah Jones and countless others. This song has always befuddled me. Why does this poor dude's father think that having his son kill Rose Connelly will bring them riches? Who knows. Anyways, I think it's a pretty song. I may have gone overboard with the Ken Burns cropping and panning, but I think the bananas make up for it. This video is more to…
I met with my brilliant friend and artistic associate "The Artist" on Monday (the artist requested to remain nameless for now.) We met to review artwork for the cover of Crossing the Black to be released summer 2015! We started with a discussion about art and music, and ended up in a cribbage game with a couple of drunken strangers. I won. The sketches capture my vision perfectly. The music on this record is some of my most personal work, drawing on my experiences, my fantasies and my present life. The title "Crossing the Black" refers to the Black River in…
On a cold February evening, a lonesome traveler arrived at my door. His name was Simon Linsteadt, and he was on a journey to show to his soul what it meant to truly be a solitary wanderer. We shared stories of jams come and gone. We listened to bits of the new Steep Ravine record, The Pedestrian (which is killer, by the way.) After a while, my wife, baby girl and Sammy the dog, and Cleo the cat laid down for bedtime. Once the whole house was quiet, and everyone else was asleep, Simon and I ascended the dark staircase…
... or is it really dumb? What am I missing? What do you think are the pros and cons of a DIY campaign? Have you ever tried, or considered trying a crowdfunded campaign to sell pre-orders? With the work left to do on my record dwindling down, I have begun to think about how I’m going to release this lovely work of art. I think I’ll try a DIY crowdfunding campaign to sell pre-orders. Crowdfunding is Probably a Good Idea I wasn’t initially intending to run a crowdfunding campaign, but as the money spent on the record has reached up…
Here is a little list I've compiled of albums (in no particular order) that I stumbled across in the past year that may be slightly off the beaten path. I definitely recommend purchasing all of these fine recordings. For your convenience, I have provided links to buy these records from the artist. Allen Shadd - Miles From the Hard Road Allen is a two-time national flatpick champion and Miles From The Hard Road is filled with beautifully executed flatpicking. Buy Here John Mailander - Walking Distance Molly Tuttle brings some very nice, creative picking to John Mailander's Walking Distance.…
