Album Notes

Michael Glabicki

"A song is an organism that has a history and has different meanings to many different people," says Rusted Root lead vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Michael Glabicki. "Those people attach themselves to this organism and because of that, it's a ritual, a way to jointly go places."

It's funny; the same can be said for Rusted Root. The Pittsburgh sextet evolved from a single cell¾Glabicki¾into a musical organism of quintessential essence, monumental substance and vast appeal.

Rusted Root would adopt a hard-touring way, their polyrhythmic multiculti rock and soul picking up devotees like a junkyard magnet as they swept across the nation. In 1990, they self-released a CD, Cruel Sun. The disc attracted Mercury Records which signed the band and released When I Woke (1994) (2x Platinum sales). Two more records (Remember (Gold sales) in 1996 and the self-titled third in 1998), three EPs (Evil Ways, Live, and Airplane), a home video (Rusted Root Live) and miscellaneous film and TV soundtrack credits (Twister, Mathilda, Home For the Holidays, Party of Five, Homicide, Ice Age) followed. Welcome To My Party is the group's fourth record.

Glabicki began his solo career by playing an acoustic set by himself before Rusted Root shows and now has moved on to playing whole shows alone. "It's basically to try out new material," he said. "I'm working on a solo album right now, and it's really good for me to get a reaction from the audience."

He estimates a release date in early 2004 and is planning a very unique, personal way of promoting the album.

"I always wanted to ride my bicycle across the country. So, I'm going to ride my bike and have a van with all my gear in it ... go ahead, and I'll catch up later."

Glabicki hopes this tour, which will fulfill a dream, will also expose his music to people who are unfamiliar with him and also let him perform in interesting places he would not otherwise get a chance to see.

"[I'll] set up shows wherever I end up at. I can only do about 80 miles a day," he said. "Like, in Kansas, I'll probably do four shows ... that will be at, you know, these cowboy bars that wouldn't be normal venues where I would play."

Rusted Root is famous for their unique style of mixing pop themes with a vast array of African and Latin instrumentation. Glabicki, however, intends to take his solo career in a more rock 'n' roll direction, citing Radiohead, Neil Young, John Lennon, and P.J. Harvey as inspirations for his album.

"It's a little bit more out and in your face," he said. "It's not so community-oriented and jolly-oriented. It's a little more intimate material."