When I was in Belgium, the most magical thing happened! Conrad, my dear friend, host and promoter introduced me to a group of wonderful musicians shortly after I arrived and we had so much musical chemistry that after just 1 week of playing together, we went into the studio to record an EP. Sometimes things are just so right. . .

I can’t really cohesively recount the tour and am busy assembling a slideshow for you . . . I mean, how does one recount the first weeks of a whirlwind romance? It felt to me like a blind date that turned into a torrid 2 week affair. . . Every night a gig, a rehearsal, a recording session and then mixing down the evidence only a few days before I departed. . .

The EP, Barefoot in Belgium is currently available exclusively on Patronism for the time being but we’ll have it available on the site soon for purchase.

It features 2 newly recorded songs “Forgive Me” and“Why Must you Leave” a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Snowin on Raton” as well as a really fun rendition of “Lazybones” by Johnny Mercer & Hoagy Carmichael. There are new studio versions of “Bound to Fall” & “Your Parade” as well as a new recording of “Yesterday Blues.”

We named the band “the Lazybones” and it features 2 amazing and very different harmonica players, Jeffrey Theilens & Eddy de Smul who trade off on harp (both clean and amplified) and percussion and a swingin’ guitar player, Tom De Poorter. On backing vocals, we’ve been joined on a few gigs and in the studio by one of Belgium’s finest vocalists, Kimberly Claeys the lead singer of Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3 (also Tom’s band).

We were all transformed by the experience- everyone was brought back to the place in which the magic of making music was not only possible but frictionless, hysterical, curious blissful and un-jaded. The vibe was HIGH and the love and respect and laughter were unbelievable. I also got to play with a different, more yin approach to the music, which for me was really a great inspiration for writing new material.

And there were some hysterical moments, costumes, delirious all-nighters in the studio, eight or nine off us working in an assembly line on Conrad’s dining room table, putting together hand-written and numbered copies of the cds. . . so sweet. . .

If you want the tracks, they’re available exclusively on Patronism until I can get them up elsewhere for sale. Enjoy!

Here’s a slideshow I put together with the songs on the EP and a little photo-narrative of the adventure:

The Lazybones performing “Lazybones” in Gent

Here’s “Why must you Leave” from the last gig. . . bittersweet