Noah Reid Instagram – While we were in New Mexico shooting season 2 of Outer Range, I had a little time on my hands and wanted to continue to explore Billy’s musical world. At the end of season 1 we had planned to do a one night only Billy Tillerson concert; Billy in all his Wyoming cowboy splendour singing all the songs from the show with a full backing band, Bobby the taxidermy bear onstage to oversee. Ultimately, that couldn’t happen because of COVID protocols, and I guess that left me with this feeling of unfinished business.
So I called up my friend Ken Riley who has a beautiful place in Albuquerque called Rio Grande Studios where I’d done some recording during season 1. Working with Kenny is super fun; he was so game for this project, bringing so many great musical ideas and shepherding the sessions like the seasoned bad-ass pro that he is. In no time, he put together a small band of his favourite local guys; Brian Burton on drums, Colin Deuble on bass and Dave Devlin on pedal steel and dobro. I’m always amazed by a musician’s ability to immediately step into a tune and create such beautiful spaces within it, and I was so excited with what these guys were able to add to the loose song sketches I was working with. I passed those recordings on to my old friend Adrian Cook to thicken the sauce and add some magic on the keys and he did just that. I’m not sure if it’s me or Billy playing the piano, guitar, Wurlitzer and harmonica, but in those sessions there wasn’t much difference between us.
1/2 | Posted on 16/May/2024 12:28:34
