winterspring by Allison Wheeler
The culmination of four years of writing and vulnerable self-examination, Winterspring weaves a narrative of hope inspired by famous storytelling and personal anecdotes. The title is a term that was created accidentally during a free write session in vocalist Allison Wheeler’s college bedroom, and she has since then been unpacking its parallels in her life. Winterspring tells a classic tale of opposing forces working together towards growth — What was intended solely as an outlet for personal expression evolved into an exploration and understanding of the human condition.
Jazz-like in structure, the album weaves tales of love, light and loneliness into a unique blend of styles driven by sweeping vocals and colorful accompaniment. The album is a glimpse into Wheeler’s inner world, brought beautifully to life with the help of her band — Daniel Bulatkin (piano/keyboards), Max Makagonov (double bass), Petr Nohavica (drum set) and guests David Dorůžka (guitar) and Luboš Soukop (soprano & clarinet). In order to both find peace in the midst of inner struggle and to guide others to do the same, Winterspring is a message of hope and growth in the midst of darkness.
Tracklist
| 1. | winterspring | 5:02 |
| 2. | something good | 5:57 |
| 3. | ophelia | 6:32 |
| 4. | the hazel wood | 6:14 |
| 5. | lines | 2:36 |
| 6. | nose dive | 7:32 |
| 7. | the giant | 5:25 |
| 8. | a dream is a wish | 0:54 |
| 9. | love | 5:53 |
| 10. | going home | 7:49 |
| 11. | dawn | 7:23 |
Credits
the band is:
allison wheeler - vocals & music
daniel bulatkin - piano/fender rhodes/prophet
max makagonov - double bass
petr nohavica - drums
with special guests:
david dorůžka - guitar
luboš soukup - soprano and tenor saxophone/clarinet
strings (tracks 3 &4)
lucie agopianová - violin 1
šárka ozgová - violin 2
zuzana kořenová - viola
nozomi sekine - cello
string arrangements by jonathan zuniga
music & lyrics by allison wheeler*
* (except tracks 2, 8 & 9, and track 4 lyric excerpts taken from “the song of the wandering aengus” by w.b. yeats)
produced by allison wheeler & daniel bulatkin
executive producer: martin hummel
recorded & mixed at studio svarov by lukáš martínek
strings recorded at faust studios by derek saxonmeyer
mastered by peter beckmann at technologyworks
art direction & design by allison wheeler
photography by karolina ketmanová
