Mark Erelli - Blindsided - Acoustic Selections (2020) Hi-Res

Songs constantly evolve, often changing considerably as they progress from my imagination, to my writing notebook, and then the recording studio. Even after they are documented on an album, the songs continue to change when I take them on the road. Across repeated performances the tempos shift, lyrics are tweaked, and the dynamic range is widened. And, of course, the most crucial part of this process is you. The audience often reveals new facets of the material to me, and my songs never feel truly ‘finished’ until I get a chance to play them on tour.

I miss that conversation between song and audience, each changing the other. Unfortunately, I can’t hit the road with the songs from Blindsided right now, so I tried to imagine how they might sound with several thousand miles under their wheels. The result is a new EP “Blindsided (Acoustic Selections).” I recorded it in my basement all by myself, and I’m joined by Amy Helm on one song that she recorded under a tree in her backyard.

The conversation will continue, and I can’t wait to see how the songs will evolve when we can all be together again. Until then, here’s a little something to tide us both over.