"Wishing on a Train" is Due Within the Coming Months!
Huzzah!
Production on my new record is about to wrap!
This album is my first collection of songs written and recorded since moving from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania to Erie in October 2018.
The album includes twelve brand-new recordings, highlighting the various sides of music I love, especially the Blues. I dug deep to discover where I am as an artist in 2024, and the result is an unflinching view of my struggles to find and hang onto innocence as an adult. I confront sobering realizations surrounding aging, mortality, loneliness, relationship tug of war, and the unpredictability of life, all while navigating a politically charged world.
The record is my effort to connect the East and West, my roots in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania, to my new home across the state in Erie, giving this project a unique balance.
“… this is [Ed’s] rawest but also most produced record to date; it lives in two worlds.”
—Bret Alexander, Musician, Music Director & Producer
I got to know Erie and where I belong in this new place while making this album, and the abundance of train traffic played a significant role in informing this music. The trains whispered and sparked a fire in my heart, igniting a renewed tie to childhood, connecting me to love and innocence, and allowing the space for healing.
My long-time friend and mentor, Bret Alexander, produced “Wishing on a Train." We worked together for seven weeks during the early spring into summer last year at his Saturation Acres studio. Drummer Ron Simasek [The Badlees] lends his talents to six tracks on the record, and the album features string arrangements written and performed by peerless violin virtuoso Nyke Van Wyk!
"Wishing on a Train" also features writing collaborations with noted Scranton native singer-songwriter and playwright Tom Flannery and longtime Badlees songwriter Mike Naydock.
In addition to seven new original songs, the album includes unique versions of songs written by Natalie Merchant, Sinéad O'Connor, John Fogerty, and bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins.
Alexander and production partner Paul Smith [also a founding member of The Badlees] oversaw post-production at Saturation Acres and 8 Days a Week studios. The gents and I are hard at work putting the final shine on things! Sit tight!
Another friend and fixture in my musical life, Tony Halchak, returned to dress my record. Tony’s design features the work of renowned railroad photographer Richard Steinheimer (1929-2011).
The album will be available initially as a digital download and on compact disc.
Be sure to join my mailing list for the latest news on the new album, including a forthcoming release date and much more!