The band’s last couple albums featured a number of guest performers, so Hot Toddy decided to get back to the core of the band for its latest release.
“They are awesome, we have some great musician friends, but we decided this was only going to be the three of us,” bassist Tom Easley said about the appropriately named album, Trio.
Being released today, the award-winning blues/folk band’s seventh album includes an innovative mix of music, from instrumentals to songs with playful time signatures — like 19/8.
“Our writing has developed, and we are bringing compositions that are more instrumentals, more vocal tunes,” Easley said. “We didn’t set out to do that. It just happened. And everybody is feeling really confident.”
“There is growth and maturity, and we have been able to work these songs into our sets and work them out.”
Easley said the process of making this album was easier than the last few the band made.
“I am not sure why. I just think we were ready,” he said, adding that the entire process — from writing to the final manufacturing — was without incident.
“In the past, there have always been obstacles or we were indecisive, or we had to wait a length of time to get into the studio. But, this one just went smooth. I think everything just lined up.
“Maybe it was just the time of year, or maybe we are getting better at it.”
Easley said the CD release tour has also been going slowly.
The guys have been thinking hard about the last decade they’ve played together, all the songs and albums, and have been deciding on material to perform during the tour.
“It feels good and there is a lot of energy,” he said.
