Derek Lamson
words &music
 

Mercy Not Sacrifice

...our August 1 song is brand-new to the world, and sixteen years old. 

It came out of those great sessions in Bill Norris's basement studio in 2006.

(Click here to download.)  Bill was the perfectly relaxed host; who also drummed and engineered; Rich Vanderwal played bass and mixed about half the album; I was guitars and lead vocals; April Vanderwal did what she does so impeccably, which is pull the song together and make both it and me look great.  Those sessions went right through summer to October, and we got some excellent work done - so much that I sort of forgot one.  (I told a friend I was looking for a slinky in the bottom of my toy box and found it - not far off), and I'm like where have you been?  When I listened now, what really came through was how relaxed everyone sounds; relaxed and in the pocket.  And as we've come to expect in Derek Lamson songs, a Mysterious Stranger puts in an appearance..... enjoy!

Over in Mark V: The Opera, there is mixed news...  the amazing and happy news is that we are in the neighborhood of finishing this enormously exciting project on time or a little early:  30 pages to go. 

And we'd better get done on time because we're booked in Newberg's own Chapters: books and coffee, as featured guests for Newberg's First Friday ArtWalk, early evening Friday, November 4th.  This is our book release party, folks, and we are all going.   We'll read a little, talk a bit  about the project, introduce John Williams, and Brandon Buerkle, and me.  If Eric can make it we'll have someone on hand from Barclay Press.  And just for the fun of it, I am TRYING to get some music to help us focus and get started...  from this cool project called A Month of Sundays.  They might show up.

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But there's hard news too.  Our funding has dried up considerably.  We may well be coming back to you, our friends, and families, supporters, fans, and asking for more help. I'd love it if people will take a second look at our subscription offer for the music album.  It's difficult to be so close and have so much uncertainty about our endgame.

Have you heard Derek & Friends music? Sample, shop, download, 3 albums here.

Want to know how those song lyrics happen? Try
His Modest Debut:
Poems 1970s - 1980s
Sample here.

You might know a young person - like yourself - who'd like Derek's 1996 YA novella King David and The Desert Harp. Sample here.