Kathleen Edwards 'Asking For Flowers' album

On March 4, 2008, Zoë/Rounder Records will release Kathleen Edwards' Asking for Flowers her first new album in three years, and the acclaimed artist's most penetrating collection to date. The album features eleven new songs, all written by Edwards, and finds her performing at the peak of her creative powers, supported by a group of master backing musicians. Flowers tells indelible, clear-eyed stories of hope and resignation, humor and death, unconditional love and brazen inequality.

Flowers was recorded in 2007, mostly at Plyrz Studio in Los Angeles. The album was co-produced by Edwards and Jim Scott (Whiskeytown), and features, among others, keyboardist Benmont Tench from The Heartbreakers, drummer Don Heffington (Bob Dylan, The Wallflowers), bassist Bob Glaub (Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Leonard Cohen), guitarist Colin Cripps (Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams), and pedal steel ace Greg Leisz (Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Robert Plant Alison Krauss).

Edwards' 2005 release Back To Me found her evolving from promising newcomer to one of the most respected young songwriters of her time. In addition to widespread critical acclaim, the album prompted performances on shows like Letterman, Leno and Austin City Limits, and tour dates with Willie Nelson, My Morning Jacket, John Mayer and others.

biography
3 years less 3 days ago I put out my last record.

The night before I spent 13 hours on a greyhound bus going from Canada to New York City for an appearance on the David Letterman show. As fate would have it, my flight was cancelled after a massive storm blew into the eastern seaboard closing all NYC airports. When I reached the border, the customs officer was quite amused by my reason for going to New York. “To perform on a late-night television show,” I said. She probably thought I was nuts, but let me get back on the bus. I later recalled someone backstage saying to me, “You know, honey, most people just cancel.” Not likely.

And so a year and half began that led to some amazing times. I got to play on Austin City Limits, open for Willie Nelson, John Prine, Aimee Mann, My Morning Jacket, John Mayer and Bryan Adams. I was invited to perform at Farm Aid ( I cried when Neil Young played “Old Man”), played the Grand Old Opry (Colin wore his original Nudie Suit!), had a song in Cameron Crowe’s “Elizabethtown”, toured Australia, Europe, in a van, in a tour bus, by plane, by ferry, solo and with a band…... and then home.

Most people put out records more frequently than every three years, but after a long run on the road, I had some things I wanted to do. First I bought a Heintzman piano and committed the fall of 2006 to learning how to play. I worked at a winery in the spring, practiced my violin more than I have in years, gardened relentlessly, started jogging, played a few random shows, and sung on some friends’ albums, including John Doe’s song “Golden State” which I’m very proud of.

In January 2007, I started working with Jim Scott at Plyrz studios. I wanted to work with Jim ever since I read his name on the back cover of Whiskeytown’s “Strangers Almanac”. We hit it off so well mixing “Back To Me” that it was an easy decision to go back for more. A dream come true, I had to frequently pinch myself having him by my side during the making of this record.

I was such an honor working with Don Heffington, Bob Glaub, Benmont Tench, and Greg Liesz, who served mainly as my band. It is always a risk recording with people who don’t know you, but not in this case. “The Cheapest Key” was a song I wasn’t sure was even ready to record, but after a few passes, we had the take and it remains in my mind the most fun song I’ve ever recorded. “Goodnight, California” is a six and a half minute song we got on the second take. It features a bass line that was played impeccably by Sebastian Steinberg, with John Guinty on Hammond. “I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory” was a song I wrote after Jim Scott overheard me singing one line I had written. He pushed me to finish it at the hotel that night, and with a little help from some wine I did. We tracked it the next morning. Most of the vocal is live off the floor, as is all of Greg Liesz’s amazing pedal steel part. My mother is featured on the “oohs” in the choruses, which I threatened to take off the track when she complained about the title of “Sure As Shit”.

Kevin Fox, a longtime Canadian aquaintance must be mentioned for arranging the strings, but for also letting me play in the string quartet. I also recorded with some other Canadian friends including Gary Craig (drums), Bob Packwood (keys), Justin Rutledge (vocals), Paul Reddick (harmonica) and of course, Jim Bryson and Colin Cripps. In my living room we recorded some piano, electric guitar and Jim sang on “Asking For Flowers. We had to turn off the furnace in between takes so we wouldn’t hear the rumble of the boiler.

My hope for this record was to play with some musicians I had not yet already. To see through a sonic vision living in my head. To commit myself to being precise as well as open-minded. To have bare-bones folk songs, but also lush instrumental pieces. Most importantly, I wanted to write songs that tell a story, be it mine or someone else’s with honesty and integrity. These songs came from a very true place in my heart, perhaps the reason they took so long to write. Plus, I finally got to do my first guitar solo (it’s on “Run”), which is a major accomplishment when you’re married to a guitarist extraordinaire.

And so now I’m looking forward to all the touring ahead, reinventing the songs as we play them live, and seeing new and familiar faces. I feel so privileged to do what I do and aspire to be great at it. I know I’ve rambled too long now, but if I didn’t want to be great, I might as well just stay home. And I don’t want to. I’d also prefer not taking the greyhound bus to Letterman anymore.

Thank you.

- By Kathleen Edwards

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Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers