Album Notes

Will Branch has been an American Roots singer and musician for most of his adult life. His duo with Dave Fox, Fox and Branch, has played hundreds of shows and recorded 5 CDs over the past decade, receiving praise from publications like Sing Out!, and airplay on folk shows around the world. Branch's first recording, “Press On,” was also well-received. Branch mines the rich history of old-time country, pre-war blues, and early jazz for his repertoire.

“Fog of War” is Branch's first project made up entirely of his own original songs. Recorded in Milwaukee at Surround in Sound Studio, Branch's songs address the atmosphere of war, guilt and anxiety of the past decade. There are also a number of songs of lost love, of connections missed or broken. Almost all the songs on the CD were written in a spirit of exorcism, an attempt to get rid of negative emotion. Rather than point fingers, Branch attempts to find some of the sources of the pain, and to find some healing in the ancient art of song.

Branch was assisted on the project by a great group of musicians. Though the majority of the songs are built around finger-picked or strummed acoustic guitar, sensitive support comes from Guy Fiorentini's upright bass; Alison Gima's piano; Jonathon Leubner's electric bass; Lil' Rev's harmonica and mandolin; and Susan Nicholson's fiddle. Jonathon Leubner's engineering and Trevor Sadler's mastering of the project focused on preserving the natural impact of the acoustic instruments. The cover painting, by New York City-based painter Gina Ruggeri, is a haunting image that could serve as a symbol for any number of the songs on the album.