Singer/Songwriter Ted Brown Releases Third Studio Album “Solstice Canyon Loop”
3 min read
Best known as longtime guitarist, vocalist and collaborator in the Greg Johnson Band, Ted releases his third studio album Solstice Canyon Loop. Tracked at PLYRZ Studio in Santa Clarita CA June 27-28, 2020, the songs tell stories of Ted’s journey from his hometown of Auckland NZ to his current home of Los Angeles CA where he’s lived since 2002.
Says Ted, “Those months, the pandemic, had me reminiscing and transported back in time like I think it did for so many people and the songs I wrote are mostly a product of that period. Moments from the past came back to me in vivid but fleeting pieces, and I found that I’d mix up things that happened in the U.S. with experiences from my hometown! In the end, the songs take place in either the NZ of my youth, or the 21st Century in SoCal!”
The album “Solstice Canyon Loop” is a reminiscence of a journey. From Ted’s crazy, dangerous troubled twenties in my hometown of AK New Zealand, to his restoration to sanity in Los Angeles CA. He was able to start again in the U.S. and had time to really pause and reflect on this during the lockdown months of the pandemic. Plus, Ted really got in touch with the memory of some of those who never made it.
Calling on members of his 70’s Country cover band, The Electric Fields, Ted assembled some of his favorite L.A. guys to play on the record. Notably, Dusty Wakeman on Bass (Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Buck Owens), Mark Hart on Keys (Crowded House, Supertramp), Joel Martin on Guitar (Grateful to the Core, Pearl), Tim Walker on Pedal Steel (Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, The White Buffalo) and CalArts Alum and musician extraordinaire Rob Anderson on Drums. Ben King, Ted’s Greg Johnson bandmate, added sweet harmonies from his studio in NZ.
Says Ted, “I was fortunate to have NZ Recording Engineer Neil Baldock living and working in L.A. at the time and based at Jim Scott’s Plyrz studio. I knew he was planning to return home so I really wanted to get the songs down. Fortunately, Plyrz is a huge space (ideal for social distancing) and basically a playground of instruments and gear where we were able to track the tunes live, including vocals. We did it the old-fashioned way with everyone playing together in the room. We tracked seven and I recorded the last song, Lauraly, at my home studio in West L.A. The names have, in some cases, been changed or abbreviated but never to protect the innocent, mostly ‘cos they ‘sang’ better. Postproduction was a trans-pacific process but I’m stoked that we got there in the end (thanks Neil!). I’m really proud of this record and everyone who was involved. Hope you enjoy it!”
“This highly accomplished third solo album finds him in full southwest alt country mode telling hard won life lessons and stories in the company of a superb, punchy band….Brown is in strong voice and these eight, diverse songs are lyrically concise, focused and stand favourably alongside whatever other alt.country you might be enjoying.” – Graham Reid- Elsewhere (NZ)
“Powered by his robust and honeyed tenor, the songs here speak of grown-up regrets, love and longing. And they do that while weaving their own understated mid-tempo magic that’s part country-rock, part singer-songwriter balladry.” – Russell Baillie – NZ Herald
First Single “Mr O’Neil” on 3 hourly rotate here:
https://www.audacy.com/stations/tomorrowshitstoday
To purchase:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/solstice-canyon-loop/1730233477
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2RqjSVsS3KCHuHN8UosZvl?si=hvH7oPcLTW2glGEKM6pUYw
For more information:
www.tedbrownsongs.net
https://www.facebook.com/tedsings
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