“We were really devoted to a certain kind of sound, and I always thought that it had enough Appalachia in it for it to belong to Emmy,” Daniel Lanois says. “We had a little bluegrass in it, in the sense that we were using mandolin—but electric mandolin, with a mando-guitar, actually. A combination of that with the beautiful upright piano that we rented. I pulled up the dulcimer for a few songs. Those are all old-fashioned instruments, as electrified as I might have made them for the record. I think the spine of those instruments belongs in tradition.”
The vocals, which were all recorded live, and “sonic tapestry,” as Lanois refers to Harris’ root sounds, remained loyal to her past recordings. The end result allowed her to carry her music and career forward, while at the same time respecting the country music heritage
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“I think it’s under people’s skins,” he said. “People may not fully understand why they appreciate something, but I think all these little details add up to something that will last.”
[Dedicated to Asger Schnack}
New Music United 