Exiles In Paradise (2012) - Aaron Berg & The Heavy Love

EXILES IN PARADISE on CD/LP coming SPRING 2012

"Exiles In Paradise" will be the second studio release by Aaron Berg & The Heavy Love. The album was recorded last November in Chicago at the legendary North Branch Studios on the windy city's tiny Goose Island. Berg was joined by a veteran line up of Southern studio players including the phenomenal Mike Bagwell (Pedal Steel & Dobro), Chris Garrett (Bass), and John Byce (Drums, Mallets, Percussion, Extras). Special guests include Jim Becker of Califone on fiddle and Tim Joyce of Lesser Birds of Paradise singing vocal harmonies. A scattering of overdubs, preliminary mixing, and other bells and whistles were added at the band's studio/practice space in Piedmont, South Carolina. before being mixed and mastered in Nashville, TN. The album's release is curerently scheduled for SPRING 2012 with regional and select performances to follow.

"This recording has taken on both a pop and a country element I didn't expect," Berg says, "we ended up mixing in Nashville so ultimately over a year's worth of work found its way through three diverse cities." In contrast with its polished moments are unapologetic waves of brooding darkness climaxing on 'Farewell Song' with a frantic pair of pedal steel solos. All ten of the songs were tracked live with all four core band members performing together producing a tight moody album. Berg continues, "we captured more room sound than you normally hear but still very sharp and clear. For the first time we had really great production help and great microphones. Having laid down most of the album live in Chicago when we returned to Piedmont we really took the time to build a few choice sections to some songs. There are definitely some Pink Floyd meets Big Pink kind of moments." The album features a wide array of instrumentation including: fiddle, dobro, pedal steel, upright piano, Fender Rhodes, layered string basses, ambient pads, vintage pre-war drum machine, Hammond organ, various found percussion, and guitars of all kinds, plus a few other ghosts in the machine...