About The Album Our Life Entwined
As my first album, Cascade, was being recorded I didn’t know if I would make a second one or not. But before we even finished the background vocals for Cascade I was back in Scooter’s studio recording a demo of “Hearts Can Break”, and there was another song, “Chasing Fireflies” left from the first album, so I already had 2 songs for the next one. Leslie and I started working on new songs, and I looked in my “black book of music” from the 1970’s and 1980’s to see if there were any from back then that I remembered and that might be good enough to rework. I found one that Leslie and I wrote new lyrics for (Waiting For You) and there were two songs from the 1970’s that I had wanted to include on the first album, Wonderin’ and Stories.
Wonderin’ was mostly written by my friend Marc Larby when I lived in San Rafael, California in about 1978. That song is out of my voice range now, so Scooter suggested making it a Celtic instrumental. Alissa Wolf worked on it and came up with a nice Celtic-style melody. Her sister, Khara Wolf, plays penny whistle on it. The song Stories was written back in about 1973 by my friend Brian Murray and me in Dallas while we were in a high school band together. I re-wrote the lyrics and had to capo my guitar up 4 frets to be able to sing it (which enabled me to sing it lower). Similar to my first album there’s not one fixed genre for these songs, they’re all over the place. This album, though, to me, has a more Country & Western feel to it, especially since Ted Hockenbury plays pedal steel on 5 songs. All together there are 14 songs on this album. I was very happy to get back in the studio, and extremely pleased that all the musicians that played on Cascade play again on this album, with the addition of Kirk James on his 1934 National Steel Resophonic guitar (on Straight Ahead). Scott Smith again produced all the songs, and came up with the initial arrangements. I can’t imagine recording these songs without him – his expertise and steady hand are much appreciated by me. As with my first album, all the musicians brought their own ideas to the arrangements of these songs, and all the songs are truly a collaborative effort. I’m always amazed by the talent of these musicians and above that, what awesome people they are.
This album, like Cascade, is dedicated to my wife, Leslie. All the love songs I write are about her. All the break-up songs we write are stories from the past (or just stories). I tell people that Leslie is the best person I know, and that’s a fact. She is kind and patient - and a little bit onery sometimes - and she laughs with me at my foibles. I never imagined that my life would turn out the way it has, and for that I owe a lot to Leslie. I love our life entwined!
– Rob Wigley, Hawkins, Texas, February 20, 2022
The Musicians
Rob Wigley—Acoustic Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Fred Kosak*—Acoustic Lead Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Octave Mandolin
Evan Suiter—Electric Bass
Clay Lowder—Drums
Jack Maynes—Keyboards
Alissa Wolf*—Fiddle
Kate Willyard—Background Vocals
Ted Hockenbury—Pedal Steel Guitar
Cody Tinnin*—Upright Bass on “Wonderin’” and “Back in Time”
Kirk James—1934 National Steel Resophonic Guitar on “Straight Ahead”
Khara Wolf—Penny Whistle on “Wonderin’”
Scott Smith—Percussion, Organ on “Chasing Fireflies”
Horns:
Jack Kincade—Tenor Sax
Nathan Witte—Alto Sax
Jared Wright—Trumpet
Strings:
Alissa Wolf*—Violin
Emily Huntsman—Violin
Lara Aase—Viola
Steve White—Cello
*Stillhouse Junkies appear courtesy of Dark Shadow Recording
All songs copyright 2022 by Willard Robert Wigley & Leslie G. Wigley except “My Life Entwined” by Willard Robert Wigley, Leslie G. Wigley and Kate Willyard, “Wonderin’” by Marc Larby, Willard Robert Wigley and Alissa Wolf, and “Stories” by Brian B. Murray and Willard Robert Wigley.
Horn arrangement on “Stories” by Evan Suiter.
String arrangement on “Silence” by Lawrence Nass.
Produced, Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Scott “Scooter” Smith, in Durango, Colorado. www.scootersplace.net
Cover artwork and layout by Tim Kapustka, used by permission. www.timkapustka.com
Inside photo of Rob Wigley by Renee Cornue. www.reneecornue.com Inside photo of Little Sandy with Clouds by Leslie G. Wigley More information (stories about the songs and pictures) at www.robwigleymusic.com
