Singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins began work on his latest album over a year ago in Atlanta. Last February, about halfway through the recording process, Mullins decided he needed a change of scenery and sounds. He called his old friend in New Orleans, Mike West, at his home studio, The 9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor.
“Mike played all over my Soul’s Core album, and I love the sounds he gets on his own records,” Mullins said. “I wanted that same, raw, unpolished sound for my new project, and luckily Mike had a week open. So I packed my things and together with my tour manager and my dog Roadie, some guitars and dog food, we headed west on I-10. We hit the brakes at the corner of Jourdan and Dauphine, in the heart of the 9th Ward in New Orleans. The Pickin’ Parlor stood about one block from the Industrial Canal in a 100-year-old shotgun house. I tracked about half the album there, mostly the acoustic cuts. And like the rest of the record, I aimed for that ‘old school’ vibe. No loops or samples, live instruments only. If a note isn’t perfect but the overall performance is there, that’s what we kept. Mike and Katie made us feel like part of their family while we were in New Orleans. We headed back to Atlanta inspired and rejuvenated from the time we’d spent at their studio.”