We are so excited that our brand new release, Waterbound, arrived in yesterday to the island! The recording features new originals as well as some old favorites performed by Gary Mitchell, Fiddler Dave Tweedie, Gerald Hampton & Kim France, plus a special guest appearance by Sarah Osborne playing claw hammer banjo and raising the rafters with lead vocals on Cindy and I've Been Working on the Railroad. Lou Castro also makes an appearance with some tasty guitar on Weeping Willow Blues by our friend Catesby Jones (Kitty Mitchell adds a sweet vocal harmony to that song as well). To take a listen to tracks and read more, order your own copy or download it from iTunes, visit this link to our website.
We are also knee deep in preparation for the Ocrafolk Festival and for the start of our summer season at Deepwater Theater on School Road. Hope you can come and see us!
Last night, a frigid Arctic blast swept in, shaking Gary's Soundside Studio with 45 mph winds . . .but we know compared to our friends up north in New England, that we have it pretty easy, so we'll just step outside for sunbathing before returning to work on our brand new Molasses Creek release, Waterbound. Just make sure not to lick anything metal, Fiddler Dave!
Fans of Ocracoke Island, often ask us "When is the best time to go shelling on the beach?" Although not always the most pleasant time of year, after a winter blow, the careful treasure hunter has a better chance of finding beautiful shells. Today was bitterly cold, but Dave and his wife, Amy, scored this great find . . . a rare helmet shell.
Recording news
Joining us on this new recording is friend and bassist, Kim France, from near Boone, NC. In January, she traveled to the island to lay down some tasty standup bass tracks. Kim first discovered Ocracoke in the early 1990s, and has spent many summers in the village, performing solo and with various groups. She will be returning for this season to play with Gary and Fiddler Dave at the summertime Molasses Creek shows at Deepwater Theater. We are thrilled to have her with us!
Banjoist and singer, Sarah Osborne, also ferried across the Pamlico Sound to add claw hammer banjo and vocals to tracks (If you attended the 2014 Ocrafolk Festival, you probably saw Sarah performing with the South Carolina Broadcasters). Molasses Creek backed her up on Cindy and I've Been Working on the Railroad. What fun!
Gerald Hampton was in town to hold down the bass line for Sarah's banjo picking, and to lay down some tasty mandolin picking. Both he and Sarah are hoping to join us for our upcoming performance at Music Across the Sounds in March.
When Molasses Creek begins on a new recording, we start out with a large list of songs and pare them away as we see what magic happens in the studio. So . . . without making any guarantees, here are the songs on the album to date. Some might be added and some removed . . .
Molasses Creek's Waterbound
Waterbound ~ traditional song
But I Got Love ~ by Gary Mitchell
By Half ~ one of our favorite songs by Bill Hicks
I've Been Working on the Railroad ~ traditional song
Cindy ~ traditional
Holy Smoke ~ by Tommy Edwards
Weeping Willow Blues ~ by Catesby Jones
Lady of the Harbor ~ by Joe Jencks of Brother Sun
Love All Around ~ by Gary Mitchell
An Artist's Prayer ~ by Fiddler Dave
Waltz ~ by Fiddler Dave (unnamed yet . . . not Fiddler Dave, the waltz)
Wayfaring Stranger ~ Traditional
House on the Lane ~ by Fiddler Dave
Digital Blues ~ by Fiddler Dave
That's all for now. We will have more lyrics and track info for you in our next update. Our goal is to have this album out for when we begin touring in April!
Here are our upcoming dates:
Molasses Creek at Music Across the Sounds, with special guest Sarah Osborne
Mattamaskeet High School, Swan Quarter, NC
Molasses Creek at Cycle NC Event in Washington, NC
Near Washington Civic Center, Washington, NC
Molasses Creek at the Fountain General Store
Fountain General Store, Corner of NC 222 & US 258, Fountain, NC
