WATCH: The Lovestruck Balladeers, “Rivka Road Rag”

Artist: The Lovestruck Balladeers
Hometown: New York, Detroit, Chicago
Song: “Rivka Road Rag”
Album: The Lovestruck Balladeers

In Their Words: “We formed a strong bond working with filmmaker Horatio Baltz on our first two videos, which we shot in-person long before the pandemic. Last year, during lockdown, we started talking about a third collaboration. However, given the circumstances, it wasn’t obvious how we would go about it. We were spread out from coast to coast and from Canada down to Mexico, so the idea of a traditional shoot was off the table. After a fresh listen to the album, Horatio pitched us an idea for one of the band’s original compositions, Dalton Ridenhour’s ‘Rivka Road Rag.’ We readily agreed. Months later, when we could sit back and enjoy the final cut, we were all thoroughly charmed. With his artistry, Horatio once again had added a dimension to our music beyond what we’d envisioned ourselves.” — Jacob Sanders, The Lovestruck Balladeers


Photo credit: Aidan Grant

LISTEN: Mary Flower, “Crooked Rag”

Artist: Mary Flower
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Crooked Rag”
Album: Livin’ with the Blues Again
Release Date: August 17, 2019
Label: Little Village Foundation

In Their Words: “Most of my instrumentals start with finding a groove that piques my interest. ‘Crooked Rag’ was developed around a 12 bar form in G, but with a ragtime feel. It is basically variations in the key of G. While writing, I kept after it, working my way up the neck until I ran out of musical ideas! As is the case for many of my tunes, I don’t sit down to write something. I fool around with new ideas much like a puzzle that needs solving. I work on it until I feel it’s complete and decide if it’s worth saving!” — Mary Flower