A little late on this – but still time to jump in on some stretch goals: “The idea has been brewing for a long time – a Christmas Holiday record by Phil Madeira and some of his long-time friends and associates, including Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Boys, Buddy Miller, Jars of Clay, Sixpence None the Richer, Jim Lauderdale, Sandra McCracken, Gabe Dixon, Cindy Morgan, Tommy Sims, The Choir, Jenny Littleton, and who knows who else?
Sequestered for the 2020 Holiday, Phil started recording some seasonal music, including two songs he had written in the Seventies – “GI Joe” and “Some Kind Of Love”. His most beloved holiday track (from his Three Horseshoes album) is 1997’s “Christmas This Year,” which features Phil Keaggy, Terry Taylor, Derri Daugherty, Tammy Rogers, and others, and will be a bonus cut on the new record.
At Phil’s Mercyland Songwriter Workshop in late 2021, two attendees wrote an amazing song with pal Steve Hindalong of The Choir, “Old Man Winter,” a poetic bit of lushness that will somehow warm you as takes you to the heart of a chilly December. That’s when it occurred to Phil to make the record a collaboration with friends, like the original Mercyland projects. Enter Sixpence None the Richer, Buddy Miller, Tommy Sims, Jars of Clay, Cindy Morgan, and Gabe Dixon!
Like the best holiday music, these new songs cover the gamut from Sacred to Seasonal, from a New Orleans take on “Silent Night” to Buddy Miller’s take on Phil’s song “Christmas Memoriesl” a simple song about loss and love, as only Buddy can sing it. A new Christmas hymn from Sixpence None the Richer, and an upbeat love song from Phil and Jason Eskridge that celebrates every facet of Christmas with that one special person.
The music is always the central reward in a Mercyland Kickstarter, but beyond the limited pressing vinyl, or deluxe CD package, there are paintings, shirts, songwriting experiences, and other unique gifts to put under your tree, virtual or not. One new thing we’re doing is offering the entire Mercyland Records catalog in mp3 form on a Wafer USB Drive the size and shape of a credit card!
You’ll find a few of these rewards in the “Add-On” section of the campaign.
Of note, the last remaining 280 CDs of Treasure of the Broken Land, an Americana Tribute to the late Mark Heard are available in the “Add On” menu. Get a copy of this out-of-print record while you still can.
Thanks for taking a look, and for supporting indie music artists!”