I’ve always loved the “earthy blues in the heavenly ether” production on Chris Whitley’s Living With The Law album. Weeds Grow Around was our attempt at a song that was equal parts Wrecking Ball (Emmy Lou Harris) and Living With The Law–with a dash of Radiohead.
Aside from Lincoln’s spacey guitar and Sam’s dream-time Wurlizer piano, this song has a lot to do with percussion. Besides the percussive qualities of acoustic bass and resonator slide guitar, Brad draped a Weezer t-shirt over Brian’s snare drum to achieve that tight, muffled slap effect. There’s also the sound of six different shakers, shaking live in the Two Sticks drum room–a Shaker Choir, maybe?
Sam created a great string arrangement for the end of the song and after the intense ride ride that proceeded Weeds Grow Around, the strings were a way to ease you out of the 12 Songs Of The Apocalypse. (The swoop up at the finale is either a cruel twist or a question mark after THE END.)
And speaking of…that brings us to the end. Thank you for reading and listening.
12 Weeds Grow Around by nathanwademusic