Album Notes

The Waifs had converged at Music Maker studios in North Carolina for a week’s rehearsal before our US tour started. Toward the end of the week Tim Duffy suggested he invite some of the Foundations artists over to make some music. John Dee Holeman turned up. He's a real gentleman, very gracious & after a quick round of introductions he picked up an old guitar and started to play like ...well like he'd been doing it all his life.

We were in awe. There are rare occasions when one sits in the presence of living legend and experiences one of the last true forms of authentic music. Tentatively we joined in. I remember being nervous about playing harmonica. I was trying to play Sonny Terry licks, to be bluesy, to feel it. You can hear that...me trying.

That’s the thing you see. All week we had been going over songs, arrangements. Arguing over this and that. Trying to create our final version. When John Dee picked up that guitar and started playing it was the most natural thing in the world. Not something you thought about, or planned, or crafted. Just something you felt, as natural and easy as taking a walk.

So here it is. That afternoon at Music Maker studios when John Dee Holeman took a walk with his guitar and the Waifs tagged along, sometimes in step, sometimes a step behind. But the closest step we'd ever taken toward the blues.

We wish to thank John Dee Holeman for the music and Tim & Denise Duffy for putting us up & bringing it together.

-Vikki Thorn