Lovers Prayers
Released January 2008
Songs
- Lovers Prayers
- The Weight Of The Straw
- The Love Below
- Willow Tree
- Worried Mind Blues
- Gravity
- For Shame Of Doing Wrong
- First Light
- Kora
- Surely Gone
- The Killers 1964
- See The Stars
- First Take
- Blue Clouds
- Peace Conference *
- Lolo Sang *
* vinyl only
Session Notes:
Recorded between 2005 and 2007 at The Barn, Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, NY, Lovers Prayers is Ida's 7th full length album and their second for Polyvinyl Records. It was at the Barn that the band played shows as part of the "Midnight Ramble" concert series at Levon's invitation, an experience that inspired them to go all the way into their new "super woods, super organic, slightly mystical" style. Drummer, singer, and multi- instrumentalist Ruth Keating (Malarkies, Naysayer) joined Ida for the Heart Like A River tour, and this is her first recording with Ida. Violinist Jean Cook (Jon Langford, Anti Social Music) who can be heard on the "Heart Like A River"LP, takes on a more pronounced and integral role on the new album, even adding her voice to the Ituri-influenced vocal arrangements on "Kora" and "Surely Gone".
Guests on "Lovers Prayers" include two of Ida's all time music heroes, Mr. Levon Helm himself, who played drums on "First Light", and Michael Hurley, aka. Elwood Snock, who played fiddle on "Blue Clouds" and electric piano on "Worried Mind Blues". Ida is currently finishing up a full length album with Michael, as this here print goes public. The inimitable Tara Jane ONeil played guitar on "Willow Tree","The Love Below", "Kora", & "Worried Mind Blues". She also played drums on "Blue Clouds", Jane Scarpantoni, cellist extraordinaire, who has played with everyone from Lou Reed to Rufus Wainwright, played on "Love Below", ‘Weight Of the Straw" and "First Light". Matt Sutton (Malarkies, Naysayer, Jen O Connor) played pedal steel on "See the Stars", "Worried Mind Blues", & "Willow Tree". He also played rhythm guitar on "First Light". The album was produced and mixed by Warn Defevr (HNIA) and engineered by Justin Guip at the Barn.
Some additional recording was done at ON-ME SOUND, the bands home studio.
The record was mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, NYC.
TJO made the cover artwork.
Too many songs were recorded to mention, but two, "Lolo Sang" and "Peace Conference" were released on the vinyl edition of "Lovers Prayers" and can be heard on this site if you go to the home page and click on "Listen to Lovers Prayers".
