There’s a crackle of electricity in the air at Otter Creek central. We’ve got a great new workspace now that we’ve finished our studio and are rehearsing nightly on new material for Otter Creek 3.0. The songs are written, the arranging has begun, and we’ll be rolling out some of the new tunes at our performances over the next few months! And yes... we're going to use ALL of these instruments on the album!

The album is scheduled for release in June of 2015, just in time for our summer touring season but we’ll be beginning presales this Saturday at our yard concert hosted by Michael Stone (owner of MacNichol Guitars and Mandolins) where we will debut three of the new tunes slated for inclusion on the album. Come join us if you can!

Where: Michael's Backyard - 5580 South Neighbor Lane in Holladay
When: Saturday, June 7, at 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Details: Cost is $10 per person. Potluck at 6 pm, Music at 7 pm. House concert. Please call 1-800-849-3305 or check out the event page on facebook for more information or to RSVP.

We’re excited! The recording is finished. We’re still tweaking a couple of the mixes, working on liner notes and final art and photography selections but Otter Creek’s second album, Shiver into Spark, is now complete enough for us to sit back and listen to it while we finish up final production. The album features some great new songs, a lot of new instrumental techniques we’ve been working on over the past couple of years, and Mary’s recording debut on the Viola.

Here’s our current choice for track order and just a little bit about the songs on the album.

1.       Shiver into Spark

This song helped Peter place as a finalist in two song competitions. As title track it helps set the tone for the whole album, it’s about the spark that lies hidden in cold ashes.

2.       Farewell to Ireland

This is a traditional tune from Scotland. We were first introduced to it by Kate MacLeod when Peter was accompanying her for a short set. We fell in love with it and decided to do our own arrangement. True to form, we couldn’t stay quite in one genre as a little bit of very American funk crept into our version.

3.       Hard Times

Peter first learned this tune from his father, a folksinger, who in turn had learned it from the singing of Rosalie Sorrels. Peter’s father used to perform a Utah specific version of the tune which referenced the Mormon pioneer’s sufferings while crossing the plains but we decided for this project to use Stephen Foster’s original lyrics as they speak eloquently to the economic hardship so many in our world currently face.

4.       Nine Hundred Miles

We first learned this tune from the singing of Odetta. It speaks of the pain of someone far from home, and perhaps far from the person they want to be. It also features the unique instrumental pairing of Viola and Long Neck Banjo. I guess you could call it our “low lonesome sound.”

5.       Ashokan Farewell

One of our favorite fiddle tunes ever worked into both a mellow fiddle solo and sparkling mandolin instrumental.

6.       Meadow Green

This is our arrangement of a little known folk song about one of the greatest tragedies in Utah history.

7.       Devil’s Boots

An original tune about overcoming anxiety (yes… Peter was QUITE shy once upon a time). This song took first place in the Suzanne Millsaps Performing Songwriter Showcase in 2011.

8.       Getting Past the Barking

Another original song about finding love in the most unlikely places.

9.       Fisher’s Hornpipe

Peter’s version of this traditional tune on solo mandolin.

10.   Hi Diddle Di

Some of the people we admire most are living one day at a time. This song is for them.

11.   Take the Climb

We wrote this song in memory of Tyler Clementi, who tragically took his own life after an instance of cyber bullying.

12.   Morning Has Broken

OK… Here we can brag, our own beautiful daughters “The Three Muses” sang this one. We’re pretty sure you’ll love it. We released a preview of this track on Youtube, come have a listen!

13.   Old Joe Clark

Mary plays this traditional tune on solo fiddle as only she can.

14.   Sister San Rafael

The first time we heard Utah Slim sing this song about one of our favorite places in the world we knew we wanted to do a cover of it. Slim’s song went on to win the 2011 NewSongs Showcase at the Walnut Valley festival in Winfield, Kansas where he invited us to perform it with him.

15.   The Times They Are A Changin

Our version of a Dylan tune we really, really love.

The album should be printed and ready to ship by the end of August. We’re taking orders now and offering free shipping for anyone who orders in the next month! We’ll be having a couple of events to celebrate the album’s release and are hoping to have a CD release concert down in the beauty of the San Rafael swell in late September. We’ll post details as they develop. In the meantime you can listen to the two tracks we’ve posted on Youtube or drop in to hear us in concert!

We’ve been working on arranging songs for our second album, and have been repeatedly drawn to the key of A (pretty low in my voice), viola, long neck banjo, and astonishingly low tunings on the guitar. It occurred to me that perhaps we were birthing a new sound… a “low lonesome sound.” I’ve made my share of lonesome sounds in my life. Many of them have been in the “High Lonesome” bluegrass style, singing and playing songs that sprang out of the soil long ago, but this seemed like something new.

At the Celtic Festival in Evanston last month I was reminded of the lonesome sound that happened the first time I played the Scottish Bagpipes. Several years back my in-laws came home from a trip abroad with a set, and presented them with great expectation to Mary and her five brothers. We were instructed that they were for sharing but that whoever showed the most promise could have a go at learning them first. There was no shortage of enthusiasm, and three of Mary’s brother’s rushed off to the other room to assemble the pipes. Moments later they came marching into the room accompanied by a sound I can only describe as a flock of geese dying of pneumonia while attempting to escape from a butcher.

With my musical training I felt certain I could do a little better. So after an excruciating half hour during which everyone tried to offer advice (which of necessity was done very loudly as at least one or two of the brothers at a time were always having a go at the pipes), I finally suggested maybe I should have a try. After all, I’m not bad with a penny whistle and how different could it be? Besides, with my hearing loss I had always imagined I would take up the pipes when I could no longer hear well enough to sing.

So I set to it. It seemed clear to me that one of the problem they were having was that they weren’t getting the chanter going and that perhaps the drone pipes were a bit out of tune. After 15 minutes or so of adjustments I felt I was ready to give it a go. I filled the bladder with air, squeezed, and…

Well, let’s just say it was a lonesome sound. Not one that anyone stayed around to listen to, although everyone was laughing hard enough it was difficult for them to leave. Later in the day an acquaintance who played pipes came by the house and we had him look at what we felt was clearly a defective instrument that my in-laws had been bilked into buying by some unscrupulous Scotsman.  He picked the pipes up, made a couple of adjustments and burst into a glorious refrain of “Scotland the Brave”. All of us clamored for an explanation of why it hadn’t worked for us. He just winked and said “Maybe you just aren’t Scotch enough”.  He left us with his card in case we wanted some lessons.

Several bottles of Scotch later we still hadn’t solved the mystery. The Pipes didn’t sound too bad after he had adjusted them, but none of us had the strength to blow, squeeze and play at the same time. Finally we decided he was right, none of us had enough Scottish blood. However, we reasoned that as all of us had some Scottish ancestry, maybe if we all tried at once we’d be equal to the task. Jobs were assigned and I managed to get the job of fingering the chanter as I was the only one with experience playing a tube with holes. One of us was in charge of blowing, another in charge of squeezing, and the last person just stood by shouting out helpful advice and encouragement. Finally we were able to launch into a halting but reasonably passable rendition of “Scotland the Brave”. Marching proved complicated however, with three of us attached to the pipes at various heights and with varying levels of force. We were finally forced to stop when the breathing tube was jammed up a nostril and we all tripped over each other landing in a heap. That was a “low lonesome sound” indeed.

Other low lonesome sounds in my repertoire include the rumblings of gastrointestinal distress (sure to clear a room in a jiffy) and the sound of me attempting Tuvan throat singing (also a crowd repellent).  One lonesome sound I’ve left behind is snoring (this is such a lonesome sound that had me banned to the living room at times). Apparently losing a little weight was enough to clear that one up and I’ve been less lonely since.

There’s no need to fear, the only lonesome sounds you’ll hear at our upcoming concerts are the folk and blues inspired low lonesome songs of people far from their homes and safety. We’ll steer clear of the rest. Hope to see you in the audience. Be sure to say hello! We may play a lonesome song now and then but we love the company of music lovers!


-Peter is a very poor piper, and pecks of pepper make him sneeze, but has done himself proud in the pickin' and singing world. Come see Otter Creek do their thing April 21 at the 9th and 9th concert series in Salt Lake. Full details available on the calendar tab.