It was a normal summer day in August 2016 at A NOTE-Worthy Studio in Kearney, Nebraska. The Tone Tree Audio session for Art Hansen, a Kearney-area singer-songwriter, was set up and about to begin. And in strolled Hansen, carrying his acoustic guitar and sheet music, ready to work. He filled his coffee and spoke with the studio owner, Susan Lynch, tuned his guitar, and was ready to record. His Martin acoustic guitar strums filled the air, his first lyrics entered the microphone, time stood still, then reversed. We were transported back to the 1960s.
Hansen's voice harkens back to Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison and even Johnny Cash -- an authentic country and rock and roll sound. His delivery is a deep tone filled with meaning and emotion. Happiness, sorrow, nostalgia and humor live in his lyrics as he tells stories ranging from love, depression and even pickup trucks.
Art Hansen records a track from his album 'Sometime Dreamer' at A NOTE-Worthy Studio in Kearney, Nebraska in August 2016.
The session with Hansen yielded 12 incredible tracks, 10 of which appear on his new album, 'Sometime Dreamer', recently released on March 13, 2017 in CD format. Hansen played guitar and sang simultaneously on all the tracks, to allow for a raw performance style recording. Future overdub sessions at A NOTE-Worthy Studio included violin by Madeline Maloley, banjo and mandolin by Mike Metzger, bass by David Frink, and percussion by Kent Lutt of Tone Tree.
The album is a raw, organic album, filled with elements of bluegrass, folk and an interesting retro rock and roll-with-indie feel. Mixing the audio was a practice in minimalism. Sometimes it's best for an album to leave things alone, and let them stand as they were recorded, just like the the classic albums from the rock and roll era were done. This 'retro' approach, in Tone Tree's opinion, helped Hansen's voice and lyrics to shine even brighter.
Tone Tree Audio was honored to work with Hansen and his incredible songwriting abilities. For information on the CD and to purchase a copy, contact Art Hansen at his email aghansen52@gmail.com
Listen to 'The Stranger' off of Hansen's 'Sometime Dreamer' album below.