This Mixtape brings a spotlight to the vibrant community that I call home in New Orleans. This is a list of some recordings I’ve been part of as a side musician. There are so many bands that I have played and recorded with through the years, I feel honored to be at their sides. Here are a few memories of moments from the making of these records – and I’ve noted what I contributed to each song.
Thank you for trusting me with your tunes! The life I love is making music with my friends…
I should make a disclaimer – my memories run together and I can’t always remember complete credits for every person on every song… forgive me, for I know these are incomplete! There are so many people who work behind the scenes. One thing I realized while writing this list and wanted to note: Ross Farbe (Video Age) is either a recording engineer, mixing engineer, producer or performer on almost half of these songs. He mixed my whole record. It’s often those working just out of view who make the magic happen. – Gina Leslie
“The World Is Changing” – Gina Leslie
I’ll start off this listening session with the opening track of my new album, I Love You Always No Matter What Happens. I wrote this song sitting around a campfire on a long haul drive from Louisiana to Colorado while going through it. I went to therapy and all I got was this self-love and ability to cope?!? I’m obsessed with the guitar riff that my co-producer Nat Smith added after the hook.
“Little Things” – Bella White
(Bass, harmony vocals.) It’s been a treat to record on Bella’s new album and play in her live band for the past few years. When we met, we immediately clicked about our similar bluegrass childhoods and endless love of singing three-part harmony, and we never looked back. We recorded this album at our friend’s house by the levee in New Orleans.
“Had To” – Esther Rose
(Bass, harmony vocals.) After playing with Esther here and there through the years, we finally got together for a full record together. I loved playing bass and singing harms on her album Want, recorded live to tape at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville. Esther is a well of songs and I’m constantly inspired by her commitment to writing.
“New Believers” – Sam Gelband
(Bass, harmony vocals.) I’ve been playing in different versions of Sam’s band for a long time and we recorded his new album at his house in New Orleans. There’s something about his songs that makes me perfectly happy and sad at the same time. Sam and I are also a rhythm section team, playing with a lot of the bands on this list.
“Jay’n Bee Club” – Max Bien Kahn
(Acoustic guitar, harmony vocals.) Max and I have both been playing bass in each other’s live bands for years. This song is from his upcoming unreleased album where everyone switched instruments constantly; sometimes we would do a take of a song and then everyone swap and do another take. I love how alive it feels.
“Louisiana Hound Dog” – Sabine McCalla
(Bass, harmony vocals.) I’ve got a Louisiana hound dog of my own and she goes wild for Sabine, much like most anyone who hears her. The recording session for this album was the beginning of me playing in Sabine’s band and we’ve been all over the place since then. I love how this album covers so much sonic ground and is layered with harmonies and little ear candies everywhere.
“I Really Do” – Leonie Evans
(Bass, harmony vocals.) Nearly 10 years ago, I got a bootleg copy of a home recording of Leonie singing and nearly crashed my car when I put it on for the first time. I couldn’t believe she was real. Then a few months later, I manifested her into my life and she came to my house straight from the airport to work up harmonies for a gig that night. We’ve been harmony sisters ever since.
“Long Gone” – Chris Lyons
(Bass, harmony vocals.) I was standing outside when Chris put on the rough mixes at closing time at beloved neighborhood dive bar BJ’s, and through the walls I thought it was an old record from the ’70s. Then I came inside and realized it was the Chris Lyons record we had been working on that week. Chris has that classic folk rock sound.
“No Mama Blues” – The Lostines
(Bass, harmony vocals.) The Lostines – songwriting & singing team Casey Jane Reece-Kaigler and Camille Weatherford – were one of the early bands I started playing with when I moved to New Orleans. We recorded this record at the Tigermen Den in early 2022 with a revolving door of friends to ice the sonic cake.
“Chicken Pocket” – Chicken Milk
(Harmony vocals.) I met Dave Hammer, the mastermind behind local cult icon Chicken Milk, on the very first night I came to New Orleans in 2016. We started a band together a few days later. I’d guess we’ve played thousands of hours of music together at this point. Chicken Milk create some of the most unique, joyful, hilarious songwriting and playing I’ve ever heard. I often can’t get through a song without bursting into laughter. This is a tame one.
“Left Side” – Stelth Ulvang
(Bass, harmony vocals.) The day that I met Stelth, we went straight into the studio minutes later and started setting up mics and jamming his songs, capturing some of the first times we ever got through the songs. I love how Stelth is so playful and not precious about the creative process, with everything fully live and breathing. The backing band includes a few of my beloved and most frequent collaborators – Howe Pearson on drums and Max Bien Kahn on guitar.
“Misty Mama” – Rainy Eyes
(Harmony vocals.) The session for this album began in a little cabin in Bolinas, California, before Irena Eide (AKA Rainy Eyes) took a meandering journey to Lafayette, Louisiana, several years later to finish the album. I was so happy to be a part of bringing it to the finish line. Irena writes classic and confessional songs that speak truth to my wandering spirit.
“Oaxaca” – Maggie Koerner
(Bass.) Absolute powerhouse Maggie slid into my DMs a few years ago and asked if I wanted to hang out and try making some music together, wanting more women in the room on her next record. I was so glad to play bass on her album UPSTATE, recorded at Lil Squeeze studio by Ajai Combelic. Maggie’s voice stops me in my tracks.
“Anna Rose” – Ric Robertson
(Harmony vocals.) When I quit my job in 2016, packed my car, and started driving, it was Ric Robertson who told me to come down to New Orleans, where I could sublet a room, have a band of my own, and play every night of the week. It changed the course of my life. He co-produced my EP, No, You’re Crying, and it’s been so special to be a part of each other’s music. I loved singing harmonies here with Appalachian songbird Dori Freeman.
“Yellow Motorcycle” – Gina Leslie, Elise Leavy
(Guitar, vocals.) I couldn’t possibly talk about loving music with my friends without a mention of Elise Leavy. We’ve been dancing with the mysterious art of writing songs together for years, and have never yet run out of songs to sing together. My new album features her on a lot of the harmony singing, as well as two stripped down acoustic duets that we co-wrote.
Photo Credit: Rett Rogers
