New York, NY (Top40 Charts) �You don�t have to know the story of the Grahams to love them,� says singer-songwriter and producer Dav�d Garza. �But when you learn it, it makes you appreciate their magic even more.�
That magic � what Garza describes as �an otherworldly depth� that happens when two forces combine and become thoroughly intertwined � has been developing since Doug and Alyssa Graham became school friends at ages 9 and 7, respectively. It only got stronger when the New Yorkers became high-school sweethearts, then husband and wife, and now, it permeates every musical adventure this plucky couple takes on, including a deluxe version of their 2015 album Glory Bound with five newly recorded, Garza-produced tracks, to be released March 25, 2016 on Three Sirens
Music Group via Sony�s Red Distribution. Captured at Austin�s Church House studio with the help of several musical friends, Glory Bound (Deluxe) offers two new versions of songs from the original album, two re-imaginings of earlier and unreleased Grahams songs and one chilling cover of Alejandro Escovedo�s �Broken Bottle,� a song they hadn�t even heard until they entered the studio.
The original album, produced by Wes Sharon and largely co-written with childhood friend Bryan McCann (BMC), was inspired by the Grahams� rail-riding expedition into the heart of American roots music. At the time, Doug Graham explained, �The dream is to play with as many great people as we can, and share the music as much as we can.�
They certainly achieve the first goal with these songs, which feature some of the finest talents in folk/Americana.
�It was pretty much a free-for-all in the studio for five days,� Alyssa says. �People were popping in hourly and picking up all kinds of instruments.� They�re not even sure exactly who did what in some cases, but there�s no mistaking the voices of John Fullbright, Sara and Sean Watkins, the Milk Carton Kids, Susannah Choffel and Garza, who trade leads and harmonies as featured artists.
The Watkins sibs join in on �Glory Bound,� on which Sara and Alyssa alternate verses as everyone picks and fiddles with the propulsion of a geared-up, whining engine.
The gospel-inflected �Mama� features Garza and new mama Choffel (a Rolling Stone-lauded season-three competitor on The Voice), backed by The Milk Carton Kids' Kenneth Pattengale on guitar and Fullbright on piano � and the Grahams chiming in on the choruses.
Fullbright�s sighing voice is a thing to behold on the haunting �Tender Annabelle.� The song harks back thematically to the Nashville couple�s 2013 debut, Riverman�s Daughter, an album inspired by their travels along Mississippi�s Great River Road. Fullbright also adds harmonica; Pattengale, Garza and Doug Graham pluck the guitars; and Matt Hubbard joins in on Wurlitzer organ to remind us we haven�t floated back to the 1800s.
On �The Lonely Ones,� Pattengale and Alyssa sing a sweet, tender duet over his gentle piano, accompanied by lattice-worked strings � and Jeff Johnston�s singing saw.
�This song was performed once live on the studio floor after a long night of partying,� Alyssa recalls. �It was a cathartic moment and it was communal and magical, with Evan Voyles on guitar, Doug on slide, Jeff on saw, Emily Booher on cello and Garza creating the environment of freedom. �The Lonely Ones� was a song that basically nobody had heard; Doug and I hadn�t even played it in over three years because it�s too heart-wrenching and personal. But Kenneth came in and said he wanted to do �that lullaby.� We had no idea what song he was talking about. He gets on the piano and plays our old, forgotten song. How surreal for us.�
That�s just one of the album�s many �unexpected, really beautiful surprises,� according to Garza. Another is their version of Alejandro Escovedo�s �Broken Bottle.�
�It�s the only song Doug and I do by ourselves, and I think it�s my favorite one,� Alyssa says. �It just really spoke to us.� Escovedo was supposed to join them on a new version of Glory Bound�s �Gambling Girl,� but had to back out last minute, so they decided to do this one in his honor. Garza says even the way they went about learning it was special.
�Most people, when I play them a song, they�ll go, �let me look it up on YouTube.� Doug and Alyssa just want to hear me sing it over and over. That�s a living embodiment of what folk music really is � learning it from other human beings, instead of from a TV. I love that about them. Their music is just this really cool, beautiful force of positive movement.�
The Grahams, for their part, call Garza �one of our greatest inspirations.�
�Garza�s one of our dearest friends. He�s just changed what music is about for us; made us love music again,� says Alyssa. �We always want to make music with Garza. We�ve recorded his songs in the past and we�ve played music live together around the country whenever he pops up; he�s kind of mysterious that way.�
They were the ones who popped in on him during their train travels for Glory Bound, stopping in El Paso to visit while he was recording at the famed Sonic Ranch studio.
�We just got drunk one night and recorded a bunch of demos,� Alyssa recalls. �And we said, �Someday, we�re gonna come back and finish these songs with Garza and do �em the Garza way, loose and communal.��
Last September, they decided it was time. He wanted to do it in Austin so he could call in some local friends.
�Garza always has things up his sleeve,� Alyssa notes. �He had invited Suzanna Choffel, Juliana Sheffield � they are amazing! � Matt Hubbard, Evan Voyles, Dan Dyer and John Speice, and all these great local musicians. And we all just played songs. I mean any songs � in the middle of the day, Garza would say, �Let�s record a
Bad Company song.� So we gathered around and recorded �Feel Like Makin� Love.� Just havin� fun.� They recorded 20 or so tracks, Doug reports; he promises they will be shared someday.
Which leads to another Garza observation: �My favorite music is shared music. It�s not show-offy music,� he says. �The Grahams� music is like sharing a good meal.�
With lots of especially talented friends.
