Album Notes

The Dingleberries are releasing a new album for the new year. In January, 2010, the Dingleberries will debut their second album, “Ashore” for the public. “Ashore” is a fantastic collection of songs that walks a line between rock and country music. The new album was recorded at MCM studios in Winnipeg during the last couple of years. Co-producing and engineering sound for the Dingleberries is Western Canadian Music Award-winning producer Mike Petkau. “Working with Mike has brought our sound and music performance a quantum leap forward,” enthuses keyboard player Scott Bell. Adds principal guitarist Frank MacLean, “I have learned that the value of this recording experience was to hear our creativity in an articulate and sometimes humbling transparent way; we played and sang the best we could, and I love the results in our new album”.

The album represents a truly collaborative effort, with the songwriting and singing chores shared between MacLean and vocalist/ guitarist Derek Robertson, with input from the other band members, notably rock-solid rhythm section members Larry Solinski on bass and Jeff Korchoski on drums. Layered guitar textures and vocal harmonies are a common thread through “Ashore”, from the rocking title track, to delicate ballads such as Yesteryears, through to song stories of local historical fiction such as “The Tale of Dead Horse Creek”. The band benefitted from the musical creativity and finesse of cellist extraordinaire Leanne Zacharias on the powerful title track “Ashore”, and the classically-influenced “Who Should Cry Now”. Paul Bergman on banjo, Jon Guenter on viola and mandolin, Karl Redding on guitar, and Jane Moody on cello fill out the Dingleberries' new collection of songs with some unique musical nuances.

The Dingleberries are a versatile rock and roll unit with a couple of decades of experience. The band mixes music from a multitude of cultures and genres. Simply stated, the Dingleberries play all kinds of music. Is it possible to be every band to everybody? The Dingleberries are trying. "Ashore" is a fine representation of this band's experience and approach to music.