By Louie Ferrera

I’m pretty damn excited to announce the release of my new album Second Wind. This is my third album of original songs. My first effort, 2007’s Lifesongs was a stripped down, all acoustic affair. I played all of the guitar parts and sang all of the vocals. In 2010 I stepped it up a few notches with Late Bloomer. This was more of a collaborative record with drums, bass and electric instruments. I hired some solid local session players and called in a few musician friends too. The songs on Late Bloomer were more fleshed out and sonically miles above its predecessor. A couple of the songs even garnered a bit of airplay on the local Americana format radio station KRSH.

Second Wind is a genre defying smorgasbord of musical delights. When people ask me what kind of music it is, I tell them it’s “honest” music (with a little Neil Young and Gram Parsons thrown in). Impeccably recorded and produced by Sebastopol, CA studio legend Jeff Martin, this is my best sounding record yet. I brought in some of the top musicians in Sonoma County to help me out. Dave Zirbel dazzles on electric and pedal steel guitars, banjo and dobro. Bassists Chad St. Clair and Jeff Martin are rock solid. Former Tommy Tutone drummer Vic Carberry keeps things chugging along. Singer Amy Carlson, a hidden gem from the Santa Cruz Mountains, adds sweet harmonies throughout. Along with percussionist Dan Ransford and violinist Candy Girard, together we made a record that I feel is truly special. Everyone brought their A game to the studio; the recording sessions were fun, collaborative and at times downright magical.

The nine original songs on Second Wind run the gamut from the deeply personal (Mockingbird, Looking Back) to rollicking fun (Chuck Berry is Leaving the Solar System) and all points in between. My songs are like my children. To have watched them grow from seed kernels in my head to the fully realized versions that made it onto this album is incredibly gratifying, to say the least.

Second Wind can be streamed on Spotify or Apple music. You can also purchase a digital download from iTunes, just key in my name. I even have actual CDs. If you get one of those, you’ll see the gorgeous package designed by local artist Jeanette Robsahm and have something that you can actually hold in your hands, not just a bunch of ones and zeros. Message me if you want a physical CD and I’ll get one to you.

I put my heart and soul into this project and I think it shows. Give it a spin, share it with friends and fellow music lovers. Drop me a line and let me know what ya think. Enjoy!

“Everyone should be able to make some music, it’s the cosmic dance!”

Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude