Making an Album, Part One

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Today was a long day. Here are the highlights:

1. Told my children last night to be my alarm clock by jumping on me at 7:55 AM. I woke at 7:54, shoved pillows under the covers in the shape of a 35-year-old male, then hid. When said children leapt upon me and were met with pillowy confusion, I jumped from my hiding place and didn’t scare them half as bad as I wanted. Perhaps I should have just breathed on them.

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Pictured here: Andy with a GPS, an iPhone, and a look of confusion. In the background, Todd and Ben.

2. Ben Shive met me at the Warren at 8:30 AM, we loaded the car with instruments and drove to the Nashville International Airport.

3. Met Andy Gullahorn, Todd Robbins, and Gabe Scott at the Southwest counter, where we carefully divvied up the instruments: two acoustic guitars, dobro, lap steel, hammered dulcimer, keyboard, accordion, mandolin, and a few microphones. With our luggage thrown in the mix we had exactly ten bags to check, which was completely free because Southwest Airlines is far and away better than the competition and allows two free bags per traveler. They are also friendlier and have cheaper fares. I digress.

4. Flew to Denver, then Salt Lake City. I sat next to Gabe Scott and we talked almost the entire flight, partly about old times, partly about Australians.

5. Changed planes in Salt Lake City and flew to Seattle, during which flight I played a card game with Gullahorn and Toddro (thanks to the Wall family for teaching me “Burn”). By this point we felt like we had flown to Europe and back, and Gullahorn suggested Blue C Sushi for dinner. As we land around 7:30 PM Nashville time, Gabe asks how far the drive is from Seattle to the studio. We tell him 4 to 4.5 hours, and he laughs because he thinks we’re joking. We aren’t.

6. We rent and load two 4-wheel-drive SUVs, then stuff ourselves with sushi. I ate roe. On accident. I thought it was orange jell-o. I enjoyed the California Rolls especially, but not more than I would have enjoyed a plate of chicken pot pie.

7. Drove 4 long, sleepy, twisty hours through the mountains, arriving at 1:15 Nashville time. We loaded in our instruments, chose our sleeping quarters, and more or less collapsed.

So here I sit at 3:04 AM, trying to make good on my promise to myself (and to you, should you care to follow along) to document the making of this album. I’ll write more tomorrow when my brain is working properly.

Andrew Peterson is a singer-songwriter and author. Andrew has released more than ten records over the past twenty years, earning him a reputation for songs that connect with his listeners in ways equally powerful, poetic, and intimate. As an author, Andrew’s books include the four volumes of the award-winning Wingfeather Saga, released in collectible hardcover editions through Random House in 2020, and his creative memoir, Adorning the Dark, released in 2019 through B&H Publishing.


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16 Comments

  2. Nick and Susan

    *Does happy little dance*

    I like the bed trick…hey didn’t Barliman Butterbur do that too, he copied you! Ha ha! Hmm could have been an entirely different story had those Hobbits hidden in the room.

    Seeing as we only discovered your music just before Christmas (I know shame on us….how have we survived all these years!) it makes us so excited to read that there is more music on the way!! 🙂

  3. PaulH

    A round of applause, cheers, and whistles! The anticipation of the new AP album is already growing!

  5. PaulH

    At second glance, one question arose: Is there not any available studios in the small town of Nashville?

  6. JJ

    Awesome. I’m really looking forward to reading about the whole recording process.

    I had a dream about the new album but it wasn’t named Resurrection Letters: Volume I. Maybe it’s not going to be and maybe I read that somewhere here. With a 9 month old who isn’t sleeping through the night my brain can get a bit cloudy.

    I wonder though, do you guys ever goof around and record metal versions of classic AP (or Ben or Andy) songs? It’d be interesting to hear if you did.

  8. Ben Ward

    Southwest certainly is the best. I took the family to San Antonio a couple of months ago and the guy who made all the safety announcements (oxygen masks, exits, etc.) was quite the comedian. At one point, he quickly rambled through the lawyer-speak version of the “no smoking” rules and then said:

    “So basically… if you are caught smoking anywhere on this plane it’s going to cost you $2000. And let’s face it… If you had $2000 to spend on a flight from San Antonio to Nashville, you wouldn’t be flying with us.”

    I thank God that I didn’t!

  9. Nathaniel Miller

    Looking forward to the new album coverage. I don’t make music and wouldn’t know how to start, but I love good music and love to see how God molds it into a work of art. Your details will be much appreciated. I hope that hammered dulcimer finds its way into many a song.

  10. LauraP

    I think that photo looks like a promo for a new action adventure movie… Will you do your own stunts? I would guess “yes”!

  12. Jeff Cope

    My wife, Meredith (who met you and Ben in the lobby of the hotel at the Milford, OH show last month) was very excited to hear you guys like sushi. She’s a big fan of sushi…in fact she had it today for her birthday.

    At any rate, it’s exciting to read the progress of the new CD. But not nearly as exciting as it’ll be when it’s done and in my hot little hands (and iPod).

    Carry on, gents!

  13. becky

    Men are amazing creatures. Up at 7:55, out of the house by 8:30. And you had time to rough-house with the kids. Astounding.

    Am filled with anticipation for the new recording!

  15. Joy C

    ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO HEAR OF MORE AP MUSIC ON THE WAY.

    In the past week I’ve played Mountains on the Ocean Floor and All Shall Be Well for new groups of women at the prison. They were teary-eyed and speechless at Mountains. I asked ’em why, and one said, “The words say it all…”
    Love and Peace from Prison… Pray for Haiti.

  16. Tony Heringer

    Love the asides in this post and some of the thoughts they stirred:

    1. “Perhaps I should have just breathed on them.” – You could take that two ways, the first one (obvious) morning breath, the second was my first due to the subject matter of this record: Jesus breathing on His disciples.

    2. “Southwest Airlines is far and away better than the competition and allows two free bags per traveler.” Huh? Their ads make it sound like all my bags are free, but it sounds like even they charge for bags at some point. I live in Delta country, so we can’t get Southwest in here, otherwise I’d fly them and not just because they are cheap, but on the whole, they are a fun company.

    3. “We tell him 4 to 4.5 hours, and he laughs because he thinks we’re joking. We aren’t.” Good word picture on that last bit.

    4. “I ate roe. On accident. I thought it was orange jell-o. I enjoyed the California Rolls especially, but not more than I would have enjoyed a plate of chicken pot pie. ” The roe/orange jello line sounded like a line out of Forrest Gump and that last part is my feelings about sushi. It’s alright, but I’d rather have some comfort (and cooked) food instead.

    Have fun storming the castle fellas, should be a another great record.

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