Greg Loiacono will release his first full-length solo album, Songs From a Golden Dream, on September 23rd, 2016 on vinyl, CD and digital formats. With 11 new songs by The Mother Hips co-founder, Songs From a Golden Dream finds Loiacono delivering his boldest and most accomplished release to date. Songs From a Golden Dream is a baroque, electric work that hums and spits with energy even in its quietest moments. Expert song-craft developed over an eclectic career springs up innovatively throughout the album. Seated far from the bleary detachment common in his generation of songwriters, Loiacono's songs are bright-eyed, present, sincere – and a bit psychedelic at times.
The album’s first track, “The Red Thread Part I (The Gloaming)," a tough-groove, four-part-harmony stomp, invites the listener into his world:
Meet us on the hill
Lovely and terrible
All are invited
Sensations are ignited
Loiacono takes us on a sonic journey filled with rich imagery, sultry textures and straight-up rock n roll. He threads together his last decade of experiences into a single, intricate, beautiful tapestry. The album closes with the gorgeous, Vivaldi-by-way-of-Simon-and-Garfunkel track “The Day's Long Wind.” The “day” Loiacono is reflecting upon is his whole life up until now – the “Golden Dream.”
Along with Loiacono on vocals and guitars, the Songs From a Golden Dream personnel includes frequent Loiacono collaborators Todd Roper (Cake, Chuck Prophet) and Scott Thunes (Frank Zappa, The Mother Hips, Fear) on drums and bass respectively, as well as Jackie Greene on the Hammond organ and Lefty Knight on pedal steel and sitar. Loiacono co-produced the record with long-time collaborator David Simon-Baker (Los Lobos, Jack Johnson, ALO, Mac Dre). "It wasn't easy finding time to finish Golden Dream" says Loiacono. His busy schedule with The Hips, solo performances and his family keep the man constantly on the move. "But making this album with such a fine group of people and with songs that mean so much to me has been one of the great pleasures of my musical life."
Loiacono is best known as a co-founding member of the band The Mother Hips. The band is currently based out of San Francisco, California and still tour the country on a regular basis. When he is not on the road, Loiacono can often be found making music with Phil Lesh and his crew down at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA, just minutes away from Loiacono's home.
Songs From a Golden Dream will be available for pre-order on 9/9 and in stores 9/23. Go to www.gregloiacono.com for details.
Greg will be performing with his band at the following venues:
10/14 Winston's, San Diego, CA
10/15 Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
10/21 Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael, CA
10/28 The White Horse, Portland, OR
With The Mother Hips:
8/27- Volcanic Theatre Pub, Bend OR
8/28- Cheney Stadium, Tacoma WA (w/ Dawes)
9/3- Foam Fest- Squaw Valley, Tahoe City, CA
9/5- The Cliff's Resort, Pismo Beach, CA
9/7- The Big Room @ Sierra Nevada Brewery, Chico, CA
9/9&10- Bear Music Fest, Pinecrest, CA
9/16&17- Joe's Pub, New York, NY
9/23- Don Quixote's Music Hall, Felton, CA
10/1- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, SF, CA
