When you’re a songwriter, life’s a love song. I realized that when I was 13 years old and I’ve been living it ever since. These albums prove that a love song can come in many packages and so can an age old soul. Song to song, just like life, you never know what’s coming next.
I started these albums in Asheville, NC and finished them in my studio in Atlanta. Also, a good portion was recorded after hours while building three different solar farms on the road in south Georgia. The workers would go home and I would start recording, editing or mixing in my car, job trailer or in the parking lot or hotel room of the Hampton Inn. (Hilton Honors points!! holla)
No matter what the song, “Life’s a Love Song” is as heartfelt and emotional as anything I’ve ever done and it’s very musical with lots of guitar, sax and harmonica solos to keep things poppin’. Both albums feature John Kell on sax and backing vocals and me playing everything else (drums, guitars, vocals, bass, keys, synths, mandolin, harmonica, percussion and banjo)
“My Old Soul”, is very upbeat and positive with lots of synths mixing with the guitar, sax, harmonica and orchestral embellishments. The lyrical themes are of letting go of the past and moving forward with positive instincts.
Aside from me on vocals, guitar, drums, keys, synths, mandolin, some bass and various other things the album also features:
John Kell on sax
Chris Singleton – bass on much of My Old Soul
Adair Cates, Chris Cates, John Kell and Rob Sankey – backing vocals
Produced, recorded and mixed by Chris Cates
Mastered by Ricky Rodriquez at Bomb House Recording – Morganton, NC BombHouseRecording.com
Cover pic for Life’s a Love Song by Derek Clayton (Taken while building Solar Phase II at the Chattanooga International Airport)
Cover pic for My Old Soul by Adair Cates
Chris Cates .com 