The Contribution is pleased to release tracks from their upcoming LoHi Records album, Wilderness And Space, one song at a time over the course of seven months, with full proceeds of each single going to a different non-profit. The full ten-song album will be released on vinyl this Fall.
They kick off with the single “Back This Way” which will be available online on February 17, 2017 with all proceeds donated to Rex Foundation. This track was recorded at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios in San Rafael, CA and engineered by Rick Vargas. Head over to Relix Magazine to hear the World Premiere of “Back This Way” → http://bit.ly/TheContributionRexPremiere_Relix.
The Contribution is the brainchild of Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth (violin, guitar, vocals) together with Phil Ferlino (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Miller (guitar, vocals) of New Monsoon. Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), has been the bass player from the band’s inception along with vocalist Sheryl Renee (The Black Swan Singers). The drum chair has been occupied by Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra), and currently Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic). Both Matt Butler and Duane Trucks appear on the band’s new record, Wilderness And Space.
When Relix magazine announced the The Contribution’s debut record, Which Way World [2010], and called them a “jamband supergroup,” they also recognized, “the band serves the songs first and foremost.” Although the band is comprised of some of the scene’s heavy hitters, the first listen to their music reveals their love of 60s pop and soul coupled with their ability to flat-out shred. It’s what makes the band appealing to music lovers from all walks of life.
Since they are in other touring bands and cannot really get on the road together that often, they came up with this unique idea; Carbone wanted to find a way to live up to the band’s name, which in itself provided the clue as to how, and this is what they cooked up as a way to keep it going and give back in the process. Individually the members of The Contribution have been advocates and activists for various environmental and social causes. Now they have thought of a way to meld the two worlds the band holds dear. They are The Contribution, after all.
The group selected a handful of organizations to partner with and are excited to kick things off with Rex Foundation. Created in 1983 by the Grateful Dead and Family, Rex Foundation aims to help secure a healthy environment, promote individuality in the arts, provide support to critical and necessary social services, assist others less fortunate than ourselves, protect the rights of indigenous people and ensure their cultural survival, build a stronger community, and educate children and adults everywhere. Rex Foundation has granted $8.9 million to over 1,200 recipients.
“For more than 30 years, the Rex Foundation has funded organizations most people might never have heard of, but all of whom do meaningful work that we find important. I believe that these same groups need all of us now more than ever, and I doubt there could be any better way to celebrate their work than by coming together with songs in the air and spirits held high,” says Rex Foundation Executive Director Cameron Sears.
Carbone says, “We feel blessed to be able to make this music and have it help people in need… and we would like to empower those who share our passion and provide a resource for them to take action with us.”
“Back This Way” is a duet sung as a conversation between a man and a woman whose relationship is suffering because the man is always away from home. He could be a musician or a traveling salesman (kind of the same thing) or in the military. It’s an argument that somehow, through love, turns out well. Carbone and Renee take the lead on vocals, backed by Miller, Ferlino, and Mosely, with Matt Butler holding it down on the drums.
Other organizations which will be featured include Conscious Alliance and HeadCount, as well as a handful of others that support the arts, environment, and health. Wilderness And Space will be released on LoHi Records, of which Carbone is one of the partners along with Hard Working Americans’ Todd Snider and Chad Staehly (Gold Mountain Entertainment), and entrepreneur/marketing veteran Jim Brooks.
