Album Notes

A group of earnest musicians/music dorks making well-crafted music unlimited by genre or trend. Centered around songwriter Derek Schmidt's lyrics- which span from the grandiose and literary to the spare and heartfelt- All My Pretty Ones focuses on harmony above all else.

All My Pretty Ones represents a collaborative, process-driven project that has a love of honest music-making, a distaste for limitation, and always the excitement of growth through shared art. Driven by the death of his parents at different parts of his life, Derek Schmidt turned almost completely to music for solace and a means of expression, and continues to explore not only anxiety, escapism, and loneliness, but also the (re-)affirmation of life through friends, lovers and the greater world around him. The project collectively known as All My Pretty Ones officially began when Derek- influenced by 60’s folk, musical theatre, and classical composition- wanted to elaborate on songs originally crafted for both piano and guitar. Through various ways and means, he collected a group of musicians who enjoy the process of arrangement as much as he does. The diverse backgrounds and influences of Genessa Kealoha, Jesse Wade, Jocelyn Bentley-Prestwich and Matt Payne (ranging from experimental to classical to bluegrass and even emo to jazz), in turn became Derek's fascination with the process of changing his songs through these collective members' interpretations and perspectives.