SnowGhost Music

My first encounter with The Wartime Blues was when I was standing outside “The Church” ,where we do most of our shows, getting ready for our show with Adam Arcuragi. Three summertime-looking fellows walked up to me and asked me about the show. I mentioned that Adam Arcuragi was a folk artist from Philidelphia and that the opening band, Wartime Blues, was a folk-rock band from Missoula. That was about all I knew at the time, as Keith had booked them to open up for Adam fairly close to the show’s date. That’s when they corrected me. “Actually I’m from Idaho, and go to school in Missoula”, answered Ben. A little embarrassed, we shook hands, and I asked them about their set. They explained that they were a roots band, led by Canadian Nate Hegyi’s creative story-telling, touching upon American themes much in the vein of Neil Young. As we got the PA and running, The Wartime Blues settled into their soundcheck, and my ears perked up. They had a vibe. I leaned over to Keith and suggested that we arrange for a session after the show.

I came to learn that I had only seen half the band. The Wartime Blues was a college-based collective, on break for the summer; they also had keys, electric guitar, and cello waiting in the wings. This concerned me a bit, as big bands can struggle with arrangements during dense sessions like ours. After our meet and greet, and walk through of the songs, my concerns were quickly tamed. The band was open to suggestion, and they were good enough musicians to adapt quickly. Of the six songs they brought to the studio, we settled on four that were strong enough to represent the band.