Speaking from Nashville, Tim Bluhm has just wrapped recording his solo debut, due out in October. He’s guarded about revealing anything about what the forthcoming record will sound like: “I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to say,” he says – then decides to go for it anyway. “It’s basically a straight-up country record we made with mostly older Nashville session [musicians]; these guys are the real deal.”
The Mother Hips frontman describes the record as “pretty stripped-down,” fueled mostly by bass, drums and Bluhm on acoustic guitar and vocals. Jason Crosby also appears on piano, fiddle and some pedal steel; and Hard Working Americans’ Jesse Aycock contributes guitar and vocals on a few tracks throughout the album.
Rough cuts of Bluhm’s originals reveal an authentic reverberated twang in his vocals, fueled by heartache, whisky and God-fearing salvation.
“Could a bad man be saved by singing good songs?” Bluhm croons in one new tune.
It’s too soon for Bluhm to say what’s going to end up on the yet-to-be-titled solo LP of mostly original tunes – there are even a few covers by Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Guy Clark.
In the months following the back-to-back shows at Henry Miller Library Friday night, Bluhm’s schedule will stay stacked, beginning with the 10th anniversary of the Hipnic festival: three days of camping, music (curated by the Hips) and culinary creativity at the Fernwood Campgrounds May 18-20.
“Symbolically, [Hipnic X] is a good one to mark down,” Bluhm says. “It’s a red-letter year, for sure. I’m going to really value the time I get to spend there.”
Hipnic has extra meaning for Bluhm this year since he was forced to sit out last year’s gathering due to a severe leg injury he’s still recovering from.
Hipnic X also coincides with the Hips’ 10th full-length studio album, Chorus, which comes out just a couple weeks after the festival on June 9.
“There aren’t that many small bands that have been around for 27 years,” Bluhm says. “We value our [fan base] so much – we want the album to reflect that.”
The longtime session musicians Tim Bluhm recorded with in Nashville have accompanied everyone from Elvis to Aretha Franklin to Roy Orbison.
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