Album Notes

- Album of the Year finalist, Independent Music Awards
- #1, Folk DJ airplay chart, October 2005
- #7, Freeform American Roots airplay chart, December 2005
- #19, Roots Blues airplay chart. October, 2005
----------
Two Wings is a spirited collection of country blues and ballads freshly transformed by Lauren Sheehan, whose voice has been likened to "clear water through the rivers of American song." She is an American roots songster, singing blues, folk ballads, hymns, gospel, ragtime, and popular music of the day. Two Wings is Lauren's second album, following the international success of Some Old Lonesome Day which scored high on radio charts around the world and received wide critical acclaim. Complimenting Lauren's singing and fine guitar and banjo picking is the virtuoso harmonica playing of international Piedmont blues star Phil Wiggins (Cephas and Wiggins).

---

"Two Wings" (trad)
An old spiritual I heard from Rev. Maynord Soper in a hotel lobby jam session in Memphis, 2000. Years later, when I found my old napkin with the lyrics scribbled on it. I recreated the song from the feel I remembered. Billy Oskay helped with the arrangement.

"Won't You Be Kind" (Hattie Hart)
I learned this from her recording, rearranging the piano part for guitar.

"Lonesome Day Blues" (Willie McTell, ASCAP)
I got the idea to substitute a horn for the vocal patter and really enjoyed the resulting timbres.

"Are You Tired of Me?" (A.P. Carter)
A modern version of this old country song which I loved singing with good friend Kate Power's rich harmonies.

"Farewell Swallowtail" (Lauren Sheehan)
Swallowtail is a small private school I founded and directed for 10 years. This tune came from the contemplative times during my transition from educator to full time musician.

"Drunk Man's Blues" (trad, Clarence Ashley)
This crooked old song speaks to quite a few of us.

"Risin' River Blues" (trad, George Carter)
When I first heard this country blues in a workshop with maestro John Miller of Seattle, I instantly loved the rich and unusual chords.

"In My Girlish Days" (E. Lawler)
A song for the spirited, written by the incomparable Memphis Minnie.

"Del ta Queen" (Lauren Sheehan)
A banjo ditty that I developed from the playing of blues Queen Del Rey.

"Kind Hearted Woman" (Robert Johnson)
It took a while to see a woman's perspective in this song, but once I changed the words a little, it made more sense.

"God's Gonna Ease My Troublin' Mind" (trad. Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson)
A mountain blues with African-American roots, which I imagine being sung by a tortured soul walking through the countryside at night.

"Statesboro Blues" (Willie McTell)
A country blues standard with a minor twist I learned from the playing of Alice Stuart.

"Only One Only" (Gillian Welch & David Rawlings)
This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite modern singers.

"Red Rocking Chair" (trad)
Here is my version of this great old modal song.