Album Notes

There is a new album out by Eric McFadden (http://www.ericmcfadden.com/) and Wally Ingram (http://www.wallyingram.com/) - the former, once of the P-Funk All-Stars and currently with his self-named trio, the latter with David Lindley and both most recently of Stockholm Syndrome. This new album, dubbed Alektorophobia - which means fear of chickens (more on that later) - featured a slew of fine players appear on this sound recording. Such folks include James Whiton, Les Claypool, Juan Nelson, Pete Sears, Tiffany Travalent, Sam Bass, Robin Coomer, Chris Haugen, Keb' Mo and Nels Cline.

Ah, the chickens. Chickens, Ingram says, play a central role in the "vibe" associated with album, which was recorded on an old chicken farm turned recording studio in central California. Given that Prairie Sun Studios is where the truly dark and alternative maestro Tom Waits sometimes records and that Wait's engineer Oz Fritz assisted with this album, there might be some real credence to the idea of dark cabaret. It seems remnants of the past-the chickens-were running all around the place, and, though Ingram did not say if they actually wandered into the studio, they do grace the album cover and inspired the unusual title.

"We toured the place and decided it was the right place for us. There are, like, live roosters running around and we adopted that theme for the record," he says, laughing once again. "Then we have the barnyard Les Claypool kind of thing going on there too."

The Primus frontman, Claypool is one of the many guests that turned the duo album into an unexpected and unpredictable group outing. Bassist Juan Nelson from Ben Harper's band appears on several tracks, as do guitarist Nels Cline, former Jefferson Airplane keyboardist Pete Sears, blues guitarist Keb Mo and several singers, including McFadden's girlfriend.

Prior to recording Alektraphobia, McFadden had just finished recording an album with his trio, Ingram had completed yet another tour with longtime collaborator David Lindley and both have somehow worked in a successful album and tour with the Stockholm Syndrome, an underground super group of sorts also featuring Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Jackmormon Jerry Joseph and Danny Dziuk.

Ingram felt that McFadden's unique playing style, which emphasized flamenco finger picking in a rock format, could work well in a duo setting, much like what he'd encountered in his six years touring with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist (of the stringed variety) Lindley. As intriguing as that sounds, Ingram says this tour will present the duo as originally conceived before it all "got a little wild." His years of experience in a duo format inspire confidence that he and McFadden should have little trouble making it work.