Hunting Harmonies

This week’s podcast does something a little different. Thought you might like to go behind the scenes and hear what goes into the arrangements. Last night’s rehearsal focused primarily on vocals, as we spent the evening hunting for harmonies for some of the new tunes we’ve been working on. Here are snippets of two songs. Listen to the color that Randy and Michelle’s voices bring to these new numbers.

West Virginia Chose Me

We’re very excited about the show we’re putting together to perform in Charleston next month. When we appear at Taylor Books on Saturday night, Aug. 12, we want to have an all-new show, featuring tunes we’ve not played in public before. It’s a challenge, but, hey, we like challenges. And it’s giving us a chance to learn some great new songs, including some classics we’ve always meant to bring into The Flood repertoire. For instance, our all-time favorite love song to The Mountain State has always been “West Virginia Chose Me,” a work created a couple of decades ago by our old friend, writer/composer Colleen Anderson. It says everything we feel about our native soil. Here Michelle leads us through our first take on Colleen’s beautiful song at last night’s rehearsal.

Animal Husbandry

Paul Martin has brought so many good things to the band. Stellar picking. Stunning vocals. A downright spooky insight into beautiful harmonies. And only recently have we learned that he also has a brilliant understanding of agribusiness and a rare — I say, I say — RARE insight into animal husbandry. Take a listen.

Down By the Sally Gardens ... Again

Some times a tune can have a second act. It was 16 years ago that Doug and Charlie recorded “Down By the Sally Gardens” with Joe and David for The Flood’s first very CD. Over the past decade and a half,  the old Irish tune has cropped up occasionally in Flood shows and at rehearsals, but lately, because of such rich new blood in The Flood, the song has some new attention. Listen in this rendition from a recent rehearsal how Paul and Sam share the beautiful melody line with Doug in the solo sections. Listen to Randy’s rock solid bass line and check out Michelle’s lovely harmonies with Charlie’s vocal lead. “Sally Gardens” has been reborn!

Can You Run?

Since we finished our latest CD (“Live, In Concert”) earlier this year, we’ve been hard at work learning a whole slew of new tunes which we aim to roll out at shows later this summer and in the fall. One of our favorites in the new bunch is this little Civil War vignette penned by Kentucky’s young master songwriter Chris Stapleton. Our Randy Hamilton, who brought us the song, is singing the lead here, with cool harmony support by Michelle Lewis and Paul Martin. Oh, check out Doug Chaffin’s fiddling; he was born to play this tune! Here’s Chris Stapleton’s “Can You Run?”

Happy birthday, Mountain Mama

We always try to take note of West Virginia’s birthday, and since last night’s rehearsal just happened to fall on West Virginia Day, we had to do at least one shoutout for our home state. Instead of singing “Happy Birthday” to our Mountain Mama, we chose this composition by one of West Virginia’s most favorite daughter, the late, great Hazel Dickens, and her song, “West Virginia, My Home.”

Darlin' Companion

To keep our cred as West Virginia’s most eclectic string band, we feel obliged to continue drawing material from as many diverse sources as possible, such as, in this case, the 1960s’ most electrified jug band. John Sebastian’s folk rock group called “The Lovin’ Spoonful,” which took its name from a great Mississippi John Hurt song (but that’s another story), was also quite eclectic. It drew many of its melodies and themes from early 20th century roots music, from jug band to country. The Flood has just started playing with this wonderful old John Sebastian composition, “Darlin’ Companion.” Here's where's Flood arrangement stands, as played at last night's rehearsal.