Recorded in Denver, Colorado during the month of January, 2015, Range Songs is the debut full-length album by Mickey Theis. This collection of eleven lushly arranged originals run the emotional gamut from playful to sorrowful, fiery to quietly searching.
Folk and Americana listeners will enjoy the more familiar song structures of "Orphan" and “Freedom,” while the more confessional "Places" and "Elsewhere" navigate darker, more elaborate musical terrain. Other tracks, like "True Love" and “Silent Son” demonstrate Theis’ craft as a budding producer, as he skillfully weaves sparse, Folk melodies into Springsteen-like, anthemic Rock. These more traditional tracks support a compelling counterpoint in songs like the haunting Folk number, “O Haniel” or Nilsson-esque Country lament, “Are You Coming out Tonight?"
Range Songs marks the first full-length release on Theis’ label, Infinite Gesture Records.
lyrics
have you spoken to your brother?
did you owe him something or another?
how’d it go?
and how’s your mother?
where’s she living now?
have you even bothered to wonder how?
no, you’ve taken your orders
you’re out the door
never stopped to ask yourself
what was it all for
‘cause you don’t need answers from up above
you can be sure that the only ones that’ll save us from ourselves
are the ones we love
silent son, I will miss you when you’re gone
lead them on with the arrows in your arm
a sudden star, sinking on the airwaves, holding on
holding on, I will miss my silent son.
have you spoken to your brother?
where’d he go?
is he starving in the gutter
or is he belly full?
and how’s your mother
now that you’ve gone?
how will you feed yourself,
mr. skinny bones?
I am your father, known you all the while.
no sense in explaining, holy child.
‘cause we don’t need answers from up above
we can be sure that the only ones that’ll save us from ourselves
are the ones we love
silent son, I will miss you when you’re gone
lead them on with the arrows in your arm
a sudden star, sinking on the airwaves, holding on
holding on, I will miss my silent son.
credits
from Range Songs,
track released September 27, 2016
COLIN BRICKER- mixing and mastering
MARK CLIFFORD- vibraphone, melodica, and various percussion
CHARLIE MERTENS- bass (acoustic and electric)
PHIL NORMAN- cello
ADRIENNE SHORT- violin
COLIN STRANAHAN- drums and various percussion
MICKEY THEIS- vocals, guitar, and piano
QUINN THEIS- accordion, glockenspiel, organ, piano, tack piano
JULIE THREATTE- viola
DANIEL WATT- trombone
KATIE WATT- french horn
XANDY WHITESEL- mixing and mastering
DON WILLIAMS- trumpet
TORI WOODROW- violin
Mickey Theis is an actor and musician, originally from Denver, Colorado. He has performed extensively as an actor and has
toured internationally with Motel Motel, a band with which he recorded NEW DENVER (2008) and THE BIG ISLAND (2010). He has self-released one solo EP, NO SAINTS (2008) and is currently writing material for a full-length album, RANGE SONGS, set to be released Spring, 2015....more
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