Album Notes

Happy Horse Hotel is a destination point for many Central Texas trail riders who want to ride in and experience a river setting. Rig spots, horse pens, a couple of bunkhouses and groovy outhouses serve to provide a camp setting that provides a relaxing environment for horses and their riders, without being too primitive! After riding the trails all day, it's nice to sit around a campfire and knock back a few beers while sharing horse stories. This music developed as a result of those campfire evenings and the guests who said, "Entertain us!" Hollis and Beaux, who spent 25 years making art and selling it at Renaissance Faires around the country, stepped up to do this new job by becoming musicians, with a lotta help from some very talented friends.

Hollis Wayne writes songs about camp and riding the trails, and memorizes the words when she's riding alone along the river. Or she finds old anonymous cowboy poetry that speaks to her and comes up with a tune for it. Or she picks a cover song that fits the camp scene and often works it up with a new "horsie" twist on the words. Husband Beaux Graham put down his concertina and took up the guitar so he could accompany her. John Dunn, an infamously talented local player, is their musical guru and has taken the duo from squeezeboxes to stringed instruments. DB Rouse, a talented young singer/songwriter/guitar player in his own right, is a victim of cosmic events and was delivered to their horse camp one day from Wisconsin and became their Camp Foreman as well as their Ace Guitar-Playing Sidekick.

This music isn't rock n roll. It isn't even cow jazz. We're not sure what it is, but it sure isn't bad! And when the album is done you'll feel like you've had a horse camping vacation in the country, listened to some fine stories around a cozy evening campfire and then galloped off into a great sunset with your pals.

To learn more about the Happy Horse Campfire Band and see pictures of the people who made this music, go check out the Happy Horse Hotel website. We think you'll like this bit of manure scented Americana that has taken on a musical flavor all its own.