Andrew Peterson

Touring and Recording and Writing, Oh My

Happy Groundhog Day, folks.

I wanted to drop in and let you know a few things:

1) 2011 was a great year in many ways. It was one of my busiest, which is why I didn’t manage to blog much, either at the Rabbit Room, the Wingfeather Saga site, or this one. I hope this year is different, but I’m skeptical. Which brings me to #2.

2) I’m in the studio! I can hardly believe it’s been two years since the Captains Courageous and I flew to Washington State and recorded Counting Stars. That experience was wonderful—a ton of work in 9 days, but magical in its wintry seclusion. Rather than try to replicate something that was so rare, we decided to record this new record in Nashville, old school. But we invited producer Cason Cooley into the mix to work with Ben and Andy, and the results have been great. I can’t wait for you to hear it. We’ve tracked 10 new songs, and will work to finish the album on our days off from the spring Songs and Stories tour. Which brings me to #3.

3) I’m on tour! I’m writing this from a coffee shop in Broken Arrow, OK (I always think of Roy D. Mercer when I’m in OK), on tour with the honorable Steven Curtis Chapman and the also honorable Josh Wilson. Tonight is our first show of the year. Check out the tour dates to see if we’re coming to your area, and please come! The shows have been delightful. Steven’s a great performer, and he bares his soul every night in a way that’s deeply moving. He and Josh and I play on each other’s songs, which is a blast. Most nights I’m playing “Dancing in the MInefields”, “Planting Trees”, “The Reckoning,” and “Many Roads”, but every now and then I call an audible. The band (which includes the great Ben Shive, along with Ken Lewis and Brent Milligan) is amazing, and if there’s ever a wrong note it’s played by me and only me. The Fall tour was such a blast, I can hardly believe we get to do it all again for the next six weeks. One good thing about a tour that I’m not headlining, is that there’s time for Ben and I to duck into a coffee house and write emails, edit records, and work on fantasy novels. Which brings me to #4.

Surprise! A New Record

Friends,

I’m pleased to announce the release of a new album: Above These City Lights (Live). (Get it here.)

We recorded it last fall on the Counting Stars release tour, and then things got busy. Not only did we immediately hit the road for the Christmas tour, I spent all Spring writing The Monster in the Hollows. Meanwhile, the indubitable Todd Robbins (who mixed Resurrection Letters II and engineered Counting Stars—not to mention DC Talk’s Jesus Freak, but who’s counting?) took all the files from the live show and made them sound even purtier.

The project was originally intended to be an EP that highlighted a few of the songs from Counting Stars but when we heard how “High Noon”, “After the Last Tear Falls”, and especially the Rich Mullins masterpiece “Calling Out Your Name” turned out, we decided to make it more of a full-length record. At long last, the album is ready for your ears.

Congratulations to Pete Peterson and Jennifer Trafton

Last year at Hutchmoot 2010 an author named Jennifer Trafton showed up at the last minute and volunteered to help. I remember her walking in the room at the pre-moot meeting (redundant?) and introducing herself to the rest of the gang. I also remember seeing my brother Pete perk up and smile.

Now Jennifer’s dog [...]