Gentle Hen - The Bells on the Boats on the Bay - CD
The Bells on the Boats on the Bay. They’re out there ringing in the dark, even if the only one around is a cat scavenging on the docks. Similarly, Gentle Hen is making music, even if the only one around is a cat scavenging on the docks. It’s just what they do. Henning Ohlenbusch has been writing songs for this particular band to play since 2001 and he doesn’t see any reason to stop. The band is five guys. Brian Marchese, Max Gemer, Ken Maiuri, Tony Westcott, and Ohlenbusch.
It took forever to make this album. In an effort to mix things up after they changed their band name from School for the Dead to Gentle Hen, they decided to record these songs off-site. They made day trips into the dark forests of New Hampshire to work with Frank Padellero. The trips turned to once a month and then once every few months. Then, other life-things got in the way. Mixing took a few years of back and forth. Artwork lingered in half-finished purgatory. Everyone had everything else to do. Days got shorter and shorter. Weeks became moments.
But the songs are classics. The moments captured are magical. They’ve just been waiting, patiently, to be heard. Well, not patiently. They are eager and busting and clamoring to be heard.
They are simple and intricate and smooth and gritty and all-over-the-place and played with passion and energy and sung with heart. There are cool sounds all over them. Organs and pianos and tubular-bells. Different guitars and amps and unimaginable percussive objects. There was a whole lot of creativity secretly happening out there in the woods while snowstorms came and went and black bears snooped around the windows.
Recorded, produced, by Frank Padellaro and Henning Ohlenbusch
Mixed by Frank Padellaro
Mastered by TW Walsh
All songs © 2015 Henning Ohlenbusch
ASCAP