“Tell The People” turns 20
It was 20 years ago today that “Tell The People” was released into the world. My third album, and first to be recorded in the US, “Tell The People,” marks a turning point in my career, and where I homed in on my sound. It was also the first album to feature a duet with my wife, Vavine, sparking a tradition for my albums that followed.
Recorded and mixed by Ronan Chris Murphy at Veneto West in Culver City in spring 2006, “Tell The People” featured an incredible lineup of musicians, a list of legends that still humbles me today. It features 11 songs recorded and mixed in 10 days, with the bulk of tracking captured live. Luckily my old mate @hughhamiltonphotographer was there to capture the process and album cover.
After three months of traveling across the US and Canada, writing and playing bars, festivals, music conferences, and a hell of a lot of cafes, I settled in Venice, California, in October 2005. An old friend from back home, Kieran Madden, suggested I meet a local drummer he knew, Branden Harper. We quickly bonded over our shared passion for authentic music and loosely agreed to record an album early the following year.
I headed south with Vav for a couple of months, to regroup and make a plan, hiding out in a fishing village on the Gulf of Mexico. It was the first time as a songwriter that I was free from distractions, a day job, and bills. I wrote morning, noon, and night, only taking breaks for dips in the gulf and incredible local food, and the focus started to pay off.
We returned to LA, where we would call home for the next 14 years. I had a new set of songs that I believed in and jumped into rehearsals with Brandon and Clifford Novey on bass, fleshing out arrangements. Brandon and I made a wish list of musicians we wanted on the album, and being in LA, green and fearless, I started reaching out to some serious players, with all of them saying yes to sessions.
Recording began in April 2006 with Ronan Chris Murphy and John Brown assisting at Veneto West in Culver City. Brandon, I, and bassist Tim Luntzel (RIP) set up to record live on the floor, with a cast of guests rolling through to join us over the following 5 days of tracking. Tim Young played the incredible Tele parts on “Don’t Wait On Me," "Go," “10:15 on the 405," and “The Things You Do." Nels Cline joined us for a couple of afternoons, adding his signature Jazzmaster to “Hey Mr." and “Kings Cross," with Greg Leisz adding mandolin, pedal steel, and dobro, elevating everything he touched. Dave Palmer, fresh from tour, rounded out tracking with piano and Rhodes, setting us up for a packed mix session over the remaining days.
“Tell The People” features 11 tracks spanning rock, folk, and alt-country, recorded and released independently. Tracks received airplay on Triple J in Australia, Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles, and dozens of stations around the globe. “Too Many Days” was featured on S4E3 of “Brothers and Sisters” on ABC, and “The Things You Do” on the travel show "Escape" was featured on Qantas inflight entertainment. Its release prompted invitations to play The Troubadour and Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and remains a pivotal album in my catalog. Many thanks to all who made it possible, bought a copy on CD, attended shows, and spun it on radio. You can find a link to it in my bio today, so why won’t you join me in raising a glass to “Tell The People"?
And I’d love to know, what’s your favorite track?