Love & Fear

Tom Russell was born in Los Angeles and now makes his home on the border in El Paso, Texas. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, Ian Tyson, Suzy Bogguss, Guy Clark, Sylvia Tyson and others. He is credited, along with Dave Alvin, with establishing the Americana radio format with their co-produced tribute to Merle Haggard, "Tulare Dust", the record which initiated the creation of the Americana charts in America. It was also the longest running number one record on the Americana chart. Here Tom takes his prolific songwriting skills in a new direction. He says of the album, "I think this record is a dangerous little bus ride forward.. into the ragged outback of love. Bus stops include age, drink, insanity, heartbreak, damnation, redemption and resurrection. It comes out of three years of heartbreak and desolation, then trying to come to terms and write about it. Writing in whatever blood I had left. Tickets please." Personnel: Tom Russell (vocals, guitar, bass harmonica, sheet metal), Gretchen Peters (duet and harmony vocals), Joel Guzman (accordion, keyboards 4 tracks), Barry Walsh (keyboards 6 tracks), Andrew Hardin (lead guitars, percussion, vocals), Fats Kaplin (steel guitar), Gurf Morlix (slide guitar, bass 7 tracks), Glenn Fukunaga (bass 4 tracks), Rick Richards (drums 7 tracks), Michael Longoria (drums 4 tracks), Mark Hallman (percussion). Produced by Tom Russell and Gurf Morlix with Mark Hallman.