Album Notes

People familiar with the music of James Higgins describe him as a man with a walking imagination who leaves songs in his wake like a musical litterbug.

Higgins left his native Scotland at a tender age for a two week vacation carrying only a day pack, an old guitar, and a check from the unemployment office. He never went back, that was 16 years ago.

He spent years on the road in continental Europe playing music on the streets, working in youth hostels, hotels and beer gardens. During this time he managed to keep his head above water, his fingers on the strings, and his pen to paper.

Throughout his travels, Higgins has come across people from all walks of life and diverse cultures: fellow bums and down-and-outs, buskers, musicians, doctors and politicians, gypsies, and travelers, many of whom have been the inspiration for his songs. His lyrics take you on journeys through Europe, up the Alps and down the other side, and all through North America.

After years of wandering, he settled for a while in southern Germany where he performed both solo and with several bands whose musical styles ranged from grunge to Irish-Scottish folk and punk to blues, reggae, R&B. With such diverse influences and experiences, it was inevitable that Higgins would begin to craft and shape them to create his own style.

"Crawling out the Woodwork," is characterized by what Higgins calls a "rustic" sound. He has drawn on another of his artistic interests - designing and building rustic furniture - and incorporated it into his music. Having collected and fabricated a hodge-podge of homemade instruments that include a washtub bass, egg shakers, twigs, and a meat baster, Higgins has gone back to the basics and made a rustic, spook-fueled acoustic folk/blues album with lyrics that echo of lost alleys, smoky pubs, and the occasional hen house.