Nashville 2009-12-23

The holidays are well upon us and I want to take this opportunity to wish every one of you a warm, peaceful Christmas and the best of everything in the coming year.

I've just returned from London where I was recording all last week on a project for an artist named Delta Maid. Delta's signed to Geffen Records in the U.K. and is a young singer and song writer from Liverpool with a serious ear to American roots music of the 20s through the 60s. It was a joy to work with her and producers Craig and Cassell Leon. While the record is now nearly finished, it will not be released until late summer or early autumn of 2010 and then probably only in the U.K. Should be available stateside via Amazon.com.uk. Good catching up with friends in London after work for a few pints and some great dinners. We were coincidentally recording at British Grove Studio where we record Mark Knopfler's albums so it was like old home week seeing the crew and castaways of that wonderful recording facility.

Returning home to Nashville was a harrowing experience. We sat in the plane on the tarmac at Gatwick Airport in London for nearly 2 hours waiting for the plane to be de-iced before take off. Once we finally got off the ground it was an 8 and a half hour flight to the States, of course we arrived nearly 2 hours late and I missed my connection and had to hang round the Charlotte airport for another 4 hours until the next flight to Nashville departed. It was late when I arrived home at last. Still, I did get home, which is more than I can say for many travelling this holiday season.

I managed to squeeze one last recording session in this week before things finally wind down into Christmas and the new year. I'm looking forward to touring with Mark Knopfler next year as well as the release in February of my new record Valley Of The Sun.

Until the next time, here's to 2010,

Richard

Nashville, Tennessee