Tag: Bill Edwards

All “Heart” — Ann Arbor’s Bill Edwards Finds Hope and Purpose on New Country Album

Bill Edwards has a positive outlook on “A Home in My Heart.” Photo – Chasing Light Photos

Bill Edwards isn’t afraid to follow his heart.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist searches for clarity and purpose on his new country album, A Home in My Heart.

“It’s not all autobiographical, but I like to think that it’s all feelings I have had,” Edwards said. “I think the idea of hope is important, even if it’s hard to find in these times right now, but it’s something that you have to hold yourself to.”

He shares that sentiment over 10 introspective tracks, which explore taking risks, overcoming obstacles, and having a positive attitude.

“It’s been 18 months since I’ve released anything, so that seems like a decent interval,” said Edwards, who last released So Far in October 2023.

“It’s not like right on the heels of the last one. It’s only 10 songs—this record. I tried to constraint myself; I actually said, ‘I’m gonna do 10 tracks,’ and then I kept writing and recording. I switched in and out a couple, and I played it for my wife and got her input. I played it for some other people and got some input, so this is where I ended up.”

Edwards landed nicely with A Home in My Heart due to its seamless storytelling, infectious lyrics, and upbeat instrumentation. Sonically, the album includes timeless elements of country wrapped in heartland rock, blues, and folk.

“It’s a limited palette compared to some [previous albums],” said Edwards, who plays all the instruments on the album. “That was another intentional thing. I really wanted the record to have a sound rather than going off in all kinds of different directions.”

I recently spoke with Edwards about the inspiration and creative process behind the album.

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“How’d You Write That?” — Bill Edwards and Mike Green Explore the Craft of Songwriting During January 10 Show at Trinity House Theatre

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Bill Edwards and Mike Green will include a mixture of performance and conversation for their show.

Bill Edwards and Mike Green want to demystify the songwriting process.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan singer-songwriters plan to explore the craft and share creative insights during a January 10 show—known as How’d You Write That?— at Trinity House Theatre.  

The show includes a mixture of performance and conversation: Edwards and Green will perform songs from their catalogs, interview each other about songwriting, and take questions from the audience.

“People don’t really talk about the process and talk about the nuts and bolts of how this song came to be or how a song comes to be,” said Edwards about the show’s format at the Livonia, Michigan listening room. “I think this will dig more into that.”

To prepare for the event, the duo sought inspiration from a songwriting group called Song Salon and a past TV show called Inside the Actors Studio.

“We bring in songs in any form and critique them … We just dig in, and we get really deep into the weeds of saying, ‘That word doesn’t work.’ We make suggestions, and my songs are all better as a result of being part of [Song Salon],” said Green, who also works as a booking agent.

“But it came out of that work, and I thought about Inside the Actors Studio and realized people would be interested in this. Trinity House is small enough that we can get a good-sized group of people in there, and it’s a home for many singer-songwriters in Southeastern Michigan.”

During the show, Edwards and Green will each perform 10 to 11 songs, including a mix of new material and past favorites. In 2023, Edwards released his latest album, So Far, and Green released his debut album, Listening for the Bell.

“Mike and I write differently,” Edwards said. “I tend to repeat a lot of the choruses in my songs, and Mike doesn’t so much. I’m interested to hear what influenced him to take that path and why he writes like that.”

The show also serves as a “pilot” for How’d You Write That? and allows the duo to test the waters before launching a regular series in the fall. They would curate the series and include singer-songwriters who are willing to interview each other.

“There’s not that many moving parts to it. It’s just something that we’re both interested in, and we think many people that we know will be interested,” Green said.

“Hopefully, there will be more than the people that we know. Based on the early social media stuff we’ve been doing, many people have said they’re interested.”

Bill Edwards and Mike Green perform January 10 for “How’d You Write That?” at Trinity House Theatre, 38840 Six Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan. For tickets, visit Trinity House Theatre’s website.

OK for Now – Jeff Scott Reconciles the Passage of Time on ‘I’m Alright With This World’ Single

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Jeff Scott addresses being present and grateful on “I’m Alright With This World.” Photo courtesy of Jeff Scott

For Jeff Scott, the passage of time brings much reflection and acknowledgment.

It’s a matter of finding comfort in the present moment, making peace with the past and focusing on the future.

“Like many have felt the past few years, I finally became very conscious of the fact that I had been living with a constant sense of unease. It’s been caused by a few things: the hangover from the pandemic, clearly growing older, losing many people and [witnessing] world events,” said Scott, a Troy, Michigan singer-songwriter, about his new single, “I’m Alright With This World.”

“I wanted and needed to let it all go and to return to the living. It’s not meant to be Pollyannaish; the lyrics are very direct and honest, I believe. It’s meant to be a mantra for myself to stop the noise, acknowledge the present and take stock of all I have to be grateful for. And I’m hoping it provides that to others as well.”

On “I’m Alright With This World,” Scott beautifully expresses those notions through perceptive lyrics and serene, jazzy soft-rock instrumentation.

He sings, “So I made my peace, and I made amends / Made my mistakes and I’m bound to again / But I surely will not worry about that ‘til then / Cause right now, I’m alright with this world.”

“I fully acknowledge the world isn’t that great of a place right now for many reasons, but I believe it’s really important to ground ourselves in what we may be lucky enough to personally experience and accept the grace of that,” Scott said.

I recently spoke with Scott about wrapping up 2023, finding inspiration in life, looking back at other releases, writing and recording “I’m Alright With This World” and making plans for the new year.

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Until Now – Bill Edwards Shares Personal Tales of Life and Love on ‘So Far’ Album

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Bill Edwards reflects on a life filled with optimism, love, gratitude, loss, wisdom and nostalgia on “So Far.” Photo – Chasing Light Photos

Editor’s Note: This article also appears on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

As an accomplished songwriter, Bill Edwards often tells stories from multiple perspectives across an astonishing catalog of songs.

This time, the prolific Ann Arbor singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist opted to share his own stories on his new Americana album, So Far.

“The songs are all, without exception, autobiographical, making this the most personal record I’ve ever released. I’ve reached an age where it seemed like it was time to look both backward and forward,” Edwards said.

“The future is never guaranteed, and I wanted some of these feelings captured. There’s a lot of emotional territory covered on the album, and it all feels true to me.”

On So Far, Edwards features 14 tracks that collectively reflect on a life filled with optimism, love, gratitude, loss, wisdom and nostalgia. The album’s honest sentiment, introspective lyrics and earnest instrumentation invite listeners to contemplate their own lives alongside Edwards.

“I wrote probably 50 songs that may have been candidates for this record over the past year or so,” he said. “I’m always writing, and these tunes got swapped in and out as new material came to be.”

I recently spoke with Edwards about opening for Rodney Crowell, writing tracks for So Far, recording his new album, hosting an album release show at The Ark and working on new material.

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Zip Code Tour – Bill Edwards Revisits Princeton, Illinois Childhood Days on ‘61356’

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Bill Edwards revisits his Princeton, Illinois childhood days on “61356.”

Bill Edwards intricately designs a nostalgic roadmap to childhood.

The Ann Arbor Americana singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist revisits his carefree days of growing up in rural Princeton, Illinois on his reminiscent new album, 61356, via Regaltone Records.

“I was eight when we moved there, and I was 13 when we left. Most of my childhood memories are from there. I don’t remember a whole lot before that, but I remember a ton about Princeton,” said Edwards, who lived there from 1960-1965 and named the album after the town’s zip code.

“It was a great place to be a kid. And sort of like I say in the first song, you’re just so unaware of what’s going on in the larger world beyond your handlebars. There was so much to explore, and you could just ride your bike anywhere you wanted to go.”

In his 61356 mind’s eye, Edwards pedals to hardware stores, community pools, patchwork fields, county fairs, neighborhood homes and other memorable locales. He quickly transports listeners to a pastoral era filled with vivid tales, multiple perspectives and complicated relationships.

“I just kept writing away, and some of the new ideas kept coming to me. Some of them are reminiscences and others are completely made up with different characters. All of them though involve some personal connection, like the one from the point of view of the farmer,” Edwards said.

“My parents went out of town one time, and they had us kids stay with this farm family for a weekend. We got to see pigs being born in the middle of the night, and we got to learn something about farm life a little bit.”

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Thread Count – Bill Edwards Stitches Americana Stories into New ‘Whole Cloth’ Double Album

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Bill Edwards’ “Whole Cloth” serves as a poignant, reflective novel of Americana songs.

For Bill Edwards, the basement provides the ideal music lab and creation space.

The Ann Arbor country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist retreated to his subterranean studio during the pandemic and experimented with his recording gear.

“When we went into lockdown and realized we weren’t going to be playing live for several months, I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of my recording software. I wanted to get better acquainted with MIDI instruments, or musical instrument digital interfaces,” Edwards said.

“MIDI instruments have come a long way since their invention, and the sampled instruments that are available now are just incredible. It gave me the opportunity to do things like drums, bass and pedal steel, and a whole world opened up.”

Eighteen months later, Edwards’ MIDI software explorations have resulted in an ambitious, yet prolific 30-track double album, Whole Cloth, out Friday via Regaltone Records.

“It feels like birthing a very large baby, and I’m really proud of it for a lot of reasons. I think the songs are good, and the fact that I was able to do it all by myself feels like a pretty big accomplishment,” said Edwards, who spent 15 months writing and recording his new album.

“Over that period, I probably had 70 songs, and I would finish one and then move on to the next and start building it together. I didn’t plan to do a double CD, but then I had all this stuff, and I thought, ‘Well, why not just put it all out?”

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Sounds Like Love – Bill Edwards Chronicles Relationships Gained, Lost on Latest Album

Bill Edwards released his latest album, “Sounds Like Love,” in October. Photo by Chasing Light Photos

These days, Bill Edwards views love as the soundtrack of his life.

The Ann Arbor country singer-songwriter eloquently chronicles his evolving thoughts about love on his latest album, “Sounds Like Love,” which dropped in October on Regaltone Records.

“A year ago I decided I wanted to do an album of love songs. It seems like the times we’re going through right now we can use as much love as we can get,” Edwards said. “They’re not all songs that say ‘I love you.’ Some are about the complications and the darker side of some love relationships. I think they’re at least loosely related to the concept of love.”

“Sounds Like Love” features 13 stellar tracks highlighting the ups and downs of love from different perspectives and moments in time – new love, lost love, lifelong love, past love and unrequited love. On each track, Edwards gently moves listeners from one soundbite of love to the next along a fascinating emotional path that includes paint, hurricanes and boxcars.

“I write about a song a week, and it’s just my creative outlet. I had accumulated quite a number of songs to choose from, and I just picked those 13 for the record,” he said. “I’ve long wanted to do an album all by myself in my own home studio, and I’ve accumulated an embarrassing amount of recording gear.”

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