Among the many excellent highlights of the recent Celtic Connections Online, was the world premiere of Sinner’s Shrine, an album that came about via a chance meeting with Calexico’s Joey Burns when Scotland’s Dean Owens visited Tucson during an American tour in 2019. This then developed into an invitation to record at the legendary WaveLab Studio in Tucson, with Joey, John Convertino and regular Calexico musicians.
Although the album has been pandemic-delayed to September 2021, a series of related EPs – The Desert Trilogy – are set for release in March, May and July this year (details below). The first single, New Mexico, is released tomorrow, ahead of which we have the pleasure of premiering the brilliant accompanying video. Watch it below and read personal insights into its creation from Dean Owens, Joey Burns and John Convertino. It’s an absolute killer track and very much our Song of the Day.
New Mexico
Using footage shot while recording the album Sinner’s Shrine with Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino at WaveLab Studios in Tucson, Arizona and beautiful images of Dean’s beloved New Mexico, the video was made by the incredibly talented Ruth Barrie of Waltzer Films (with studio footage shot by Nicki Young).
New Mexico showcases Owens’ gift for storytelling, with his searingly soulful voice infused with the dramatic widescreen desert sweep of Calexico – Joey Burns’ guttural guitar, Convertino’s masterful drumming and percussion, and Jacob Valenzuela’s mariachi trumpet.
New Mexico was originally recorded for Dean’s first solo album, The Droma Tapes, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The original recording was very lo fi, made with bassist Kevin McGuire in a tiny cottage in the Highlands on DAT tape.
As Dean says: “The Droma Tapes is like the black and white version, and I always thought New Mexico should have the full Technicolor treatment. And now it has!”
Joey Burns: “As soon as I heard Dean play his song New Mexico, it stood out. The words and rhythm have a rolling sound that reminded me of jumping in the van and being on the road for hours and weeks at a time. Much like the feeling of being on the highway, the song has this trancelike quality with Dean’s vocals and John Convertino’s 16th note blur with his brushes on his vintage Ludwig snare drum.
When we recorded the track I knew it would be a keeper. After I laid down some upright bass to help connect the dots, I added some electric guitar with a drop D on the lowest string to accentuate the drone that wheels make and propel the song even further.
It’s that balance of things that I enjoyed about the session we all had together in early 2020 in Tucson. This song came easy and it immediately took me back to memories of exploring towns like Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. When I close my eyes and hear this rendition I can feel the wind blowing down a lonely stretch of Highway 25 towards Las Cruces. Well worth keeping a copy in the glovebox of your car if you can”.
John Convertino: “Ever since I started playing music out on the road I’ve always loved playing in New Mexico, the wide open spaces, the lightning storms and beautiful sunsets are always inspiring. When Dean started playing this song and it was coming together to track, I had all these images in my head as I was playing, and we nailed it in one or two takes, so all those images and feelings were synched up with the actual playing. A very special moment for sure”.
The Desert Trilogy EPs can be pre-ordered here – www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-desert-trilogy
New Mexico is the first release from the Sinner’s Shrine album recordings (scheduled for Autumn 2021 release), and is also on The Desert Trilogy EPs Vol 1 (The Burning Heart) – released Fri 5 March 2021 (digital and limited edition CD)
Website: www.deanowens.com
Bandcamp: https://deanowens.bandcamp.com/
Photo Credit: Gaelle Beri