While everyone is cooped up waiting for this coronavirus epidemic to pass over, The Sunset Canyoneers are here to remind us all what it’s like to be out on the road living as a free spirit in songs like “High in the Sky.” This is one of nine songs in the group’s self-titled debut album.
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“High in the Sky” was written in hopes of paying homage to “Workingman’s Dead era Grateful Dead. It’s just a laid-back folky, sun-drenched cosmic country song. I wanted to write a tune that expressed how I feel about the freedom and beauty of the West Coast.”
The lyrics itself speaks of something that the group wishes they could probably get back to: traveling and playing for fans. “It’s a story song about playing music and traveling around California and from the pedal steel opening lick to outro three-part harmony, I think it sets up the listener perfectly for what they’ll experience from hearing the whole record.”
“High in the Sky” was recorded in Oakdale, California, aptly titled “Cowboy Capital of the World.” This is where William Duke (bass player) calls home. “He has a Tascam 38 ½ inch machine and we set up in his living room and recorded drums, bass and acoustic guitar live. We dumped that session into Logic and overdubbed vocals and electric guitars. For the final touch, the amazing Tom Heyman came to our studio in Oakland and laid down the pedal steel.”
The whole album came out March 6th, just in time for spring. The group celebrated by playing at The Rockridge Improvement Club In Oakland, where they played an entire set and had vinyl and CD copies available.
Because of the coronavirus, this was likely one of the last shows that The Sunset Canyoneers will be playing for a while. The group was scheduled to play at Old Ironsides in Sacramento on March 14th and Winters Tavern in Pacifica, CA March 20th but both shows were canceled. The group had the same message that many artists have had these past few weeks when they went to Instagram, telling everyone that canceling the show “seems like the right thing to do in light of the COVID-19 situation.”
The group plans on rescheduling a lot of their postponed dates. To stay up to date on all things surrounding The Sunset Canyoneers, follow them on Instagram @SunsetCanyoneers or on their website at sunsetcanyoneers.com.
“High in the Sky” from their self-titled debut album is available on streaming sites everywhere today!
