Forward motion.  Don’t look back.  Follow the momentum and move on.  This has been woven into the creative ethos of the band, and it propels me to start writing the next record as soon as the current one is finished.  So it may surprise some that we are “revisiting” Carpenter Bird, our 2009 release.  Nonetheless, as the 10th anniversary of the album approached and fans kept asking about whether it would ever be released on vinyl, I knew we couldn’t simply re-release it as is because I had too many lingering issues with the original recording.  Something had to change.  I remembered a prescient conversation I had with our friend and Guesthouse producer Josh Kaufman about Carpenter Bird.  I was wondering aloud about what it would mean to actually re-record it to “correct” all the underlying issues.  After all, Carpenter Bird was initially just meant to be a demo.  It was a record that happened in a piecemeal way as we were making money from bar gigs in and around Boston.  That’s part of its charm.  Once it was done, it felt like an extravagance to re-do it because we were out of funds and had an urgent need for a record so that we could start touring outside of New England.  Kaufman suggested we think about a remix, and the wheels started turning.  A remix (with the possibility of re-singing some of the songs, digitally changing the tempos of others, and adding a couple of special touches) suddenly seemed like it could produce a record that honored the spirit and flavor of the original but also scratched some of my regretful itches about the album.  And so, Carpenter Bird: Revisited was born.  I got quite emotional when D. James Goodwin first sent me the new mixes.  His fresh ears and art-forward approach brought a much-needed perspective to the tracks, and along the way, he even dug up discarded electric guitar and pump organ tracks that I’d completely forgotten about.  Hopefully, this new version of Carpenter Bird still feels like the old friend many of you have described it as, that you picked up at an early house concert or our first Newport Folk Festival appearance when we were fueled by big dreams and a passed hat.  Maybe your old friend is a little different now, with new clothes and a haircut.  But it’s still the same companion, and we’re grateful for your continuing to welcome Carpenter Bird and us into your life.  

With love,

David Wax

April 2020, Charlottesville, Virginia