Ghosts is the third and final part of Dean Owens’ The Desert Trilogy EPs, recorded with Joey Burns, John Convertino and musicians from Calexico. A full album, Sinner’s Shrine, is set to follow in January 2022.
Over the course of the trilogy’s pilgrimage to the shrine, Owens and his various collaborators have explored a variety of ideas, moods and sounds within the overall desert-Americana landscape, building eager anticipation for what the full album project will eventually encompass…It’s been a captivating journey. Mike Davies
The EP opens to The Hopeless Ghosts, a lead single out on 27th August. The accompanying video was filmed and edited by the talented Ruth Barrie of Waltzer Films. It’s hard to believe that the video, which has a definite desert-noir feel, was filmed near Edinburgh. That same imagery accentuates Dean’s themes of “the displaced, the wanderers and the border ghosts”, something that’s also very topical now.
Performing alongside Dean are Joey Burns (upright bass, electric guitar, vibes), John Convertino (drums), Jacob Valenzuela (trumpet), Paul Niehaus (pedal Steel) and Tom Hagerman (accordion). Plus, as a special guest, is the unforgettable vocals of Grant-Lee Phillips on harmonies.
Dean on The Hopeless Ghosts:
Inspired by something the late great Townes Van Zandt said about his songs. When asked in an interview why they were so sad, he replied that he had a few that weren’t sad, that they were just hopeless, about hopeless situations. It really stuck with me, and that’s what gave me the idea for the line – I follow in the footsteps of the hopeless ghosts. I was over the moon that my friend Grant-Lee Phillips offered to sing on this with me. I love Grant’s voice.
Everything about this project, from Dean’s choice of band members to the accompanying videos, works on so many levels. Both visionary and rewarding; don’t hesitate in exploring.
Edinburgh Fringe Online Show
A highlight of the Celtic Connections this year was a special show recorded long-distance with Dean and his old Felsons bass player Kevin McGuire in Scotland, Joey in Idaho, USA, and trumpeter Martin Wenk in Berlin, Germany. The audio and video were then melded together by the talents of sound engineer Garry Boyle (Slate Room Studios) and film-maker Ruth Barrie (Waltzer Films) into a dynamic, atmospheric and exceptional event. The good news is that it is now available online, on-demand, for a limited time for Edinburgh Fringe audiences, 16 – 30 August (tickets).
The show features live performances of songs from Dean’s upcoming Sinner’s Shrine album (recorded with members of Calexico in Tucson, AZ, and scheduled for release in Jan 2022, jointly on Eel Pie Records (UK) and CRS (Netherlands), including The Hopeless Ghosts above. Watch the short trailer below:
You can get tickets for the online show here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/sinner-s-shrine
The Hopeless Ghosts is out on 27th Aug, the final Desert Trilogy EP (Ghosts) on 3rd Sep – https://deanowens.bandcamp.com/
Website: www.deanowens.com
Photo Credit: Gaelle Beri