Mike Dillon - Rosewood (2020)

Mike Dillon issued his cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” the first single from his forthcoming Rosewood studio album.

Dillon created each of the LP’s 13 tracks using vibraphone and various percussion instruments. Rosewood was made during a period in which the longtime New Orleans resident moved to Kansas City and transitioned from a longterm relationship to a new one that led to a marriage.

“I fell in love with my dear friend, Peregrine Honig, in the midst of break up turmoil. I started spending time in Kansas City in July 2017, a city where I’d previously lived and had first met Peregrine in 1997,” said Dillon in a statement. “She invited me to see her beautiful art studio converted from an old church building called Greenwood Social Hall. By December, I brought my marimba there and would play for hours. The songs on this record wrote themselves in that sonically sacred space.”

Rosewood features 10 originals along with “Hurt” and covers of “Talking To Mary” and “Can’t Make A Sound” by Elliott Smith. The album’s sessions were guided by recording engineer Chad Meise and included contributions from frequent collaborator Earl Harvin.

“Much of the feeling of this record is dealing with the sadness of moving out of a great city like New Orleans, but with the optimism of a fresh start in Kansas City,” added Dillon. “To this day it’s hard for me not to say I live in New Orleans. However, in reality, prior to the pandemic, I lived a nomadic lifestyle in my Chevy van going wherever the next gig leads me. And yet now, in the age of Covid-19, we’re faced with change again. It is the only constant.”