Description
Deep Cuts is the sixteenth studio album by the American alternative rock band The Choir, Kickstarter-funded and independently released on the band’s own label Galaxy21 Music in April 2021. The album was recorded by band member Derri Daugherty at Spooky’s Lair in Brentwood and by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studios in Nashville, Tennessee; with Steve Hindalong, Daugherty, and Leiweke producing. Mixed by Leiweke at Yackland. All songs written by Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty. (“Aces Over Eights” written in fond memory of our brother on the wind, Timothy Franklin Chandler, 1960 – 2018.)
Heartfelt thanks from Derri, Steve and Dan to the brilliant artists who joined The Choir on this album: Chris Donohue, Andy Prickett, Stephen Leiweke, Stephen Mason, Jonathan Noel and Mason Zgota. Sincere appreciation and respect to our guest musicians: Mark Uecker (12-string acoustic guitar on Sunshine Girl), Michael Walker (electric guitars on Kindred Spirits and Sunshine Girl), and Jared Norris (keys on The Fool and Deep Cuts).
The Choir is excited to reveal the cover art for our forthcoming album Deep Cuts.
Kintsugi is the Japanese ancient art of mending broken pottery using precious metals such as liquid gold to bring together the shattered pieces while enhancing the cracks, making it a more refined and valuable piece of art.
We are taught to throw out the broken. But what happens if we treat it as more precious? We are taught in the western world to see most dragons as evil. But in Japanese culture many are benevolent and wise – bringing luck and protection.
It sometimes takes a new perspective to see the beauty that could be as well as the beauty that is already here.
“Never mind yesterday’s lies. Please realize you are even more wondrous in my eyes when the sun shines bright, illuminating your scars. And I adore the wounded creature you are.”
– Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty from “Deep Cuts”
What a good, great gift it is to have The Choir still with us. They’ve sung a thousand songs (give or take four hundred) over their nearly four decades as a band, and they just keep on writing them. If any long-running band could justifiably rest on its laurels, it’s this one. Their importance to this corner of the music world can’t be overstated – they were the first band and the last band to play the Cornerstone Festival, after all. But rather than dull their extraordinary legacy, each new album only deepens it.
Part of their secret, surely, is their remarkable openness. The band treats their fans like family, and their lyrics read like letters from old friends, catching you up on the latest events in their world. We’ve been able to follow the lives of drummer/lyricist Steve Hindalong’s children from their younger years(«Wide-Eyed Wonder», «When She Sees Me») to their troubled years («How I Wish I Knew») to their adulthoods, far from their parents’ watchful eyes («It Hurts to Say Goodbye»).
There’s no artifice here – The Choir is about the joy, wonder, terror, and longing of being human, expressed in poetic, yet honest terms. Three years ago, on the album Bloodshot, Hindalong laid the pain of his recent divorce bare, providing singer/guitarist Derri Daugherty with perhaps his most raw and difficult set of lyrics to sing. That album was also the last for bass player Tim Chandler, who passed away shortly after it was released. The loss of Chandler shattered the band and its fans, and to say he is missed would be to understate by miles.
It would not have been a surprise if The Choir had taken a break then. But Hindalong, Daugherty, and sax/lyricon player Dan Michaels have soldiered on. For Deep Cuts, their 16th full-length release, the band has chosen a powerful image depicting the Japanese art of kintsugi. It is the practice of repairing broken pottery, but not trying to disguise the cracks and fractures. This is an album about how love makes us whole, but also about how the scars we carry from our pain make us even more beautiful.
Make no mistake, this is an album about love, and how there is something wonderful about it. There are more love songs on Deep Cuts than on any previous record. Some, like «Kindred Spirits», are about the universal human love that binds us all together, but mainly, Hindalong is just feeling romantic here. “I smile when I feel you close to me.” “My eyes are on fire for you.” “Honey, let me walk you home.” These songs are joyous rebirths after the emotional wringer of Bloodshot, and that joy is infectious.
That’s not to say that the album doesn’t acknowledge the difficult journey. The opener, «Hurricane», which glides along on a shimmering guitar soundscape, is about finding shelter in friends and lovers as the storms rage outside. The choice to pair the pastoral lyrics of «The Woods» with the album’s most ominous musical rumblings seems to hint at darker ponderings. (“Every drop of rain might be a blessing or a curse, love endures the weather for better or for worse.”) And «Aces Over Eights», the famous dead man’s hand, is dedicated to Chandler and speaks openly about mortality. Every time Daugherty sings “we lost one brother in the band,” it hurts.
The Choir boys are getting older, too, which Hindalong acknowledges in the wry «Reckless Ways». It’s a song about his doctor prescribing moderation, about his “hooligan doppelganger” being shown the door, and I can’t help but imagine that the band smiled when sequencing «Trouble» right after it. «Trouble» is a modern classic, an impish romp with a superb melody and a shadow side: “If you’re looking for trouble, maybe I’m the kind of trouble you’re looking for…”
But it’s the love songs that give this album its character. The final third of Deep Cuts is flush with the surprise and warmth of new love. The rollicking «Sunshine Girl» and the gloriously earnest «Eyes on Fire» lead into «Mystical World», released as a single in 2019, and the sequence is perfect. The title track is the mission statement this time, tying human love to the divine. It’s a love that doesn’t care who we are, who we have been, what we have done – in fact, loves us more for that. “May one divine kiss be enough to heal your heart from the deepest cuts…”
All of this is set to beautiful, spacious music courtesy of the Hindalong/Daugherty songwriting team. They may be one of the most consistent partnerships in music today, and while very little of this album is immediate, every track blossoms into a treasure with time. Nashville legend Chris Donohue (who has played with Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Buddy Miller, and many others) handles most of the bass duties, and Andrew Prickett (of the Prayer Chain) brings his guitar sculptures to the table. This is a full, rich-sounding record, but the standout player here might very well be Dan Michaels, whose sax and lyricon lines add immeasurably to the atmospheres being conjured.
The Choir is a band that has suffered plenty of deep cuts of their own, and yet they keep on creating their particular magic, year after year. Deep Cuts is one of the most warm and big-hearted records the band has made, a wonderful reminder that no matter how dark and difficult the road is, there is love. There is always love. [Andre Salles, True Tunes, April 15, 2021]
Originally formed in the 80’s, The Choir’s long creative partnership between singer and guitarist Derri Daugherty and drummer and lyricist Steve Hindalong continues to reap rich musical rewards on the band’s 16th studio album. While no band thrives through multiple decades without some willingness to adapt to changing musical trends, The Choir has adjusted without sacrificing their core aspiration of wedding ethereal, atmospheric guitar effects (think U2’s Edge) to a grounding, rock-solid percussive beat, while the catchy, sung melodies carry the substantial weight of lyrics that echo honest-to-life experiences. The duo were joined early on by Dan Michaels on sax and lyricon, an electronic wind synthesizer, and over the years worked with a variety of bassists, most notably Tim Chandler who died in 2018. Lately, the trio have relied on crowd-funding to help finance their creative efforts, resulting in some remarkably strong albums for a band this late in their career: 2014’s Shadow Weaver and 2018’s Bloodshot.
One track here, «Mystical World», has been available for a few years, released as a single to streaming services in 2019. The opening sax and catchy 80’s guitar melody suggests a vibe similar to The Cars, except Daugherty’s gorgeous vocal stands completely on its own. The smart lyric follows a theme often present in The Choir’s work, tying the earthly romance of attraction to some sense of the supernatural, a spiritual connection. «Hurricane» opens the album reflecting on the many things in life that are beyond our control, and we cling to security in the relative safety of the eye, while musically the song devolves into one of Daugherty’s floating ambient guitar effected moments. It’s followed by the true torrential rocker, «The Wood», with an aggressive guitar attack and a gripping sax solo is a welcome return to an intensity reminiscent of the band’s great, underrated ’93 release, Kissers & Killers.
While Bloodshot dealt with heavier, darker themes, Deep Cuts may address the healing of old wounds, but it’s an altogether more up-tempo effort that rocks with intentionality and purpose. Even «Aces Over Eights», which deals with the “ashes to ashes and dust to dust” that awaits us all, it’s delivered with a pop energy and positivity. Michael’s sax additions are subtly present, used as smart accents in the most tasteful and engaging ways, while Hindalong’s smart rhythms set the pace in a way that pushes the energy in a distinct forward motion in «Trouble» and «Feel You Close». And the guitar solos from Daugherty on «Feel You Close» and «Sunshine Girl», and elsewhere reverberate with an energy that has been less obvious.
Like the Psychedelic Furs album last year, The Choir has delivered a collection of new songs that draw on previously established strengths, which managed to touch on familiar musical textures while creating something vital, current and that breaks new ground. [Brian Q. Newcomb, The Fire Note, May 17, 2021]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/deep-cuts/1561127946)
CD tracklist:
01. Hurricane – 6:14
02. The Woods – 4:35
03. Kindred Spirits – 4:44
04. Feel You Close – 4:39
05. Aces over Eights – 4:39
06. Reckless Ways – 5:26
07. Trouble – 4:17
08. The Fool – 4:22
09. Sunshine Girl – 5:12
10. Eyes on Fire – 4:15
11. Mystical World – 3:53
12. Deep Cuts – 5:21
Note: Released on both CD and as a Limited Edition 12-inch vinyl double LP. (Mastered for vinyl and pressed on 180g colored 12-inch vinyl double LP, housed in a full gatefold jacket with a lyric insert sheet enclosed. The vinyl edition features five bonus tracks: “Kathie’s Garden”, “The Real WWW”, “Counting Stars”, “What You Think I Am”, and “After All (Re-Imagined)”) The CD was issued in double cardboard sleeve with 8 panel booklet with lyrics and credits. Available at Bandcamp: https://thechoir1.bandcamp.com/album/deep-cuts
CREDITS. Produced by Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty, and Stephen Leiweke. Recorded by Derri Daugherty at Spooky’s Lair in Brentwood, TN; and by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studios in Nashville, TN. Mixed by Leiweke at Yackland. Mastered by Nigel Palmer at Lowland Masters in Essex, England. Cover Art and Design by Todd Evans. All songs written by Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty. Handler: Lisa Michaels. Executive Producers: Mark Uecker, Kimberly Uecker, Dan Michaels, Lisa Michaels.
Musicians: Track 1 – Hurricane: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Lyricon), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Andy Prickett (Electric Guitar including Solo), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion). Track 2 – The Woods: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Mason Zgoda (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Lyricon, Saxophone), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion). Track 3 – Kindred Spirits: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Mason Zgoda (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Lyricon), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Michael Walker (Electric Guitar), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion). Track 4 – Feel You Close: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Mason Zgoda (Vocals), Ericka Estes (Angelic Laughter on Outro), Dan Michaels (Saxophone), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Andy Prickett (Electric Guitar), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion, Harmonica, Glockenspiel). Track 5 – Aces Over Eights: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Lyricon), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Andy Prickett (Electric Guitar), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion, Spoken Verse). Track 6 – Reckless Ways: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Stephen Mason (Vocals), Spooky And Hotcake (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Saxophone), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion). Track 7 – Trouble: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar, Keyboards), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Saxophone, Lyricon, Horn Samples), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Chris Donohue (Bass). Track 8 – The Fool: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Stephen Mason (Vocals), Mason Zgoda (Vocals), Dan Michaels (Lyricon), Jared Norris (Keyboards), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Gong). Track 9 – Sunshine Girl: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Mason Zgoda (Vocals), Mark Uecker (12-String Acoustic Guitar), Andy Prickett (Electric Guitar including Solo), Michael Walker (Electric Guitar), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion). Track 10 – Eyes On Fire: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Stephen Mason (Bass, Vocals), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Glockenspiel). Track 11 – Mystical World: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Dan Michaels (Saxophone), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Stephen Mason (Bass, Vocals), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion). Track 12 – Deep Cuts: Derri Daugherty (Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jonathan Noel (Vocals), Christopher Heyn (Voice – “You Are Beautiful, Hit It”), Dan Michaels (Saxophone), Jared Norris (Keyboards), Stephen Leiweke (Acoustic Guitar), Andy Prickett (Electric Guitar including Solo), Chris Donohue (Bass), Steve Hindalong (Drums, Percussion).
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