Album Notes

Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave were playing cards in the back room. Buk came in drunk and shooting off his mouth. Mike was in the kitchen playing guitar for the appliances. Eventually, he had some songs. The fridge buzzed

Like that friend who always seems so sad, like the long shadows at the day's end, or the leaves rustling in an indian summer breeze, this collection of 12 songs will stir feelings of longing for those things unreachable. Is the sky too blue?

Sometimes it seems so.

Songs of loss and longing, hope and regret, sparsely arranged and unashamedly sung, broken-voiced and honest.

This ain't background music.
Get the headphones.
Dim the lights.

"The Worry Knot is Michael Hughes, songwriter, acoustic guitarist, drummer, pianist and vocalist...This is one of those rare CDs that seems to capsulate an emotion, or collection of beta waves, or color, or whatever, and successfully convey it to the listener. And the color is undoubtedly blue. The sincerity of the melancholia seems undeniable, and one shudders to think of what sort of spiritual capital was invested in producing this work...This is a remarkable work." --Pennsylvania Musician

"Echos of Brendan Perry, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave and Tom Waits are heard in Hughes's surreal and haunting voice. He draws you in with a polite yet commanding tone...Hughes displays the maturity of an apprentice capably walking in the shoes of a master; his care and dedication makes this work strong enough to find purchase among classics like Rain Dogs and From Her to Eternity." --Splendid

"Under Trees is a solid first effort from an artist that seemingly has a alot to say and the tools to say it uniquely, and for a long time to come. This crisply produced, emotionally charged release is recommended for your bluest of moods." --Origivation magazine

"[L]aments with a broken voice that sounds authentic and sincere. Through his honest delivery, we realize that Hughes' sadness is the real deal, not contrived...it is a compelling listen as we hear an artist bare his soul and come to the realization that some things in life are unreachable." --The Final Cut