Rings on a Tree (click to listen)
A new album of 15 songs written by Owen Temple and friends – available worldwide on September 29.
It was produced by Gordy Quist and recorded in Austin, Texas at The Finishing School.
VIDEOS OF SINGLES FROM THE NEW ALBUM
Owen Temple’s new record, Rings on A Tree, is a concept album – an examination of family history and the way every interaction we have reverberates for generations.
“It’s clear that our lives are a distillation and expansion of the lives that have come before us,” Temple said. “Every life, every interaction of matter and energy that happens, reverberates through the universe in an ever-expanding field. Waves of behavior that cause other waves of behavior, not just in one life, but in all our lives.
“During the Covid lockdown, I wasn’t writing much on my own, but when a friend would call and say, ‘Let’s go to a park and write a song,’ I’d always go. These meetups resulted in a reexamination of what’s important in life. We wrote songs that looked at the intergenerational interactions that created a certain wisdom, insights that transcend our narrow view of the present.”
As the songs accumulated, Temple saw them taking a spiritual, philosophical tone. “I was haunted by the ideas of our great-grandparents. Shadowy photos and mysterious documents from their eight lives give us clues about how these people have major consequence on our lives, even if we don’t understand exactly how. If you trace the branches of any family tree back far enough, you can see we’re all connected. That inspired the song ‘Rings on a Tree’ and the entire album.”
THE SONGS:
Part 1 – Big Bang
- The Song of Us
- Watch It Shine
- Days
- Beautiful Accidents
- Always Becoming
Part 2 – Pantheon
- Fork in the Road
- Can’t Stop Won’t Stop
- Virginia and Hazel
- Churches and Cantinas
- Are We There Yet?
Part 3 – Tree of Life
- Wild Seeds
- Rings on a Tree
- More Like September
- Gentle James
- Twenty Years
Part 1 – Big Bang
- The Song of Us
- Watch It Shine
- Days
- Beautiful Accidents
- Always Becoming
Part 2 – Pantheon
- Fork in the Road
- Can’t Stop Won’t Stop
- Virginia and Hazel
- Churches and Cantinas
- Are We There Yet?
Part 3 – Tree of Life
- Wild Seeds
- Rings on a Tree
- More Like September
- Gentle James
- Twenty Years
NEWs AND UPDATES
Houston
I like Houston. My family has its roots there. My parents, grandparents, and great grandparents all lived for awhile in Houston and Harris County, so
Celebrating in July
Two years ago, Owen Temple’s fifth studio album, Dollars and Dimes, was released ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. Eleven songs about eleven characters,
Celebrating in July & at the Frio River in August
“All men are created equal; endowed by their creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” Words on paper, and so
Sno Cone Stand
“Out in the hot sun, standing in line, buying sno cones in the summertime” “Sno Cone Man” from Adam Carroll – Live
Mountain Home in Reviews
“Temple’s songs are sophisticated and enlightening, offering a view of the Texas west that’s akin to Dave Alvin’s meditations on mid-century California. He writes with
Fall in Love Every Night
Fall in Love Every Night I wrote this song after reading two books by Joe Nick Patoski: Caught in the Crossfire (about Stevie Ray Vaughan)
This Week at WhiteWater, Old Quarter, Kerrville Folk Festival
I am playing at the Kerrville Folk Festival on Saturday, and so I have posted this map of Quiet Valley Ranch, where the Folk Festival
Hank
Great painting of Hank Williams I saw in West Virginia last week. It’s by artist Andy Nicholas from Parkersburg. We’re back in Texas this week
Summertime
We could hear Bob Schneider playing his set in Zilker Park on Wednesday night, as our seven year old’s Little League team played their first