Album Notes

My name is Lynn Matthew Stokes. I was born in the city of blues St. Louis, Mo. Spending my twenties in Austin Texas in the 1970’s allowed me to experience and witness a wide variety of exceptional musicians and musical trends; from the Cosmic Cowboy country and western scare of Waylon, Willie and the boys, to the electric blues revival of the Vaughan brothers. Concentrating mainly as a guitar player led me to playing with a variety of bands and musical styles throughout my career and working with talented songwriters who’s songwriting crafts did not go unnoticed. One of the highlights of those days was opening for Bob Dylan in 1991 in front of 5000 people and getting great revues in the music press.

In 2001 while researching my family’s Scottish and English heritage I came across a body of songs which captivated me to the point where I decided I had to record and perform them. The CD is titled Off To Sea Once More. The songs are ballads and Sea “Shanties” some of which date back several hundred years. The melodies are haunting, their rhythms suggesting the bobbing of the tall sail ships, and their lyrics tell the colorful stories of the joys and hardships of the men whose lives were dependent on the world’s oceans. Using existing lyrics that pre-dated recorded music allowed me the freedom to reinterpret the songs and write the music and melodies to fit the words. This project left a lasting impression and inspired me to begin song writing in earnest.

Throughout my life’s journey I have studied literature and esoteric philosophy as well as spirituality. My songs are stories whose foundations are found somewhere between the dream state of the human psyche and the emotional palette of the fears and joys of life in America. I have made a conscious effort to let the theme and imagery of the song determine the musical style in hopes of achieving a more cohesive and holistic composition. As a result my songs encompass several musical styles.

I am currently recording my original songs with my group the Sol Surfers.