Sourwood Mountain (D) | Our First Studio Recording

Originally this song was recorded as part of a medley for the 2024 RBS Ensemble. Out of all the songs Sourwood Mountain was our favorite arrangement, so I had intended to release it as a standalone video without the bones players.
Key of D
I started out by laying down the melody track on Mountain Dulcimer, in the key of D. I then added bodhran and harmonica, followed by vocals. Tom & Harry recorded from home, and Mary recorded from Montana. Across the ocean in Krackow, Poland, Annika composed and arranged her ragtime piano accompaniment. Lastly, Dean and Appalachian Tom came into the Barn Studio and recorded their parts.
The end credits give a sense of how each instrument sounds relatively isolated. Each musician and instrument create a wonderful wall of sound. "Ice Machine" Tom Braatelien drives the whole piece along with his rhythm guitar with a powerful break on lead guitar. Harry brings that signature fiddle and fills the low end with upright bass. The whistles, piano, banjo, and Heather's airy vocals lighten the heaviness of the tune, and tug at the heart strings.
Heather Baxter: Vocals
Michael Baxter: Vocals, Mountain Dulcimers, Harmonica, Bodhran, Bones
Tom Braatelien: Acoustic Guitar (Lead + Rhythm)
Tom Jablinske: Banjo
Mary Larson: Irish Whistle
Annika Mikolajko-Osman: Piano (Composition) + Rhythm Bones
Dean Preising: Irish Whistle (High Octave)
Harry Zulch: Fiddle + Upright Bass
Thank you to the talented Artists @ Pexels! Your artistry helps tell the story of these old songs.
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