Released on 1 April and available on all streaming platforms, Hidden Gems’ is the new album from folk rock singer songwriter Wayne Merdinger.
The album serves as a showcase for Merdinger’s gift for transforming emotions and experiences we all have as humans into gorgeously expressed lyrics and melodies.
The real life stories told on the album are highly relatable, starting with the album’s warmly reflective title track, to the stunning ‘It’s Raining Somewhere’.
The album contains six previously unreleased tracks, alongside six already released singles, and the track ‘Abbey Road’, which has been remastered from his 2017 album, ‘Behold The Invisible Man’.
“I wrote Abbey Road following a 2014 private tour I took of the studio, at which time I never imagined that I would have the chance to record there myself. But low and behold, I did record there, and it was only right to honor that experience with the remastered version of my 2017 tribute.”
While the seven previously released tracks were remastered by Streaky, best known for their work with Ed Sheeran, Usher, and Snow Patrol, among others, the 6 new tracks were partly recorded in the world famous Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios, in London. The album features a host of established studio musicians, including long-time Simply Red guitarist and solo artist, Mark Jaimes, and many of the songs were written by, or co-written with British producer Danny Saxon.
The title track includes as its opening lyrics, “Dust off the chords, break out the lines” as a means by which to highlight several songs which he had written back in the 1990s, but which had never before seen the light of day. ‘American Dream’, although composed decades ago, is still as relevant in its energetic cry of, “Give me back the streets I can walk on.”
“Several of the songs on this album are truly “hidden gems,” having been written decades ago but never seeing the light of day until now. Â It was an immense privilege, and a dream come true to work with a group of esteemed producers, musicians, and engineers, at Abbey Road Studios in London, MaD Studios in London, and Brick Road Studio in Scottsdale, AZ to bring this collaborative effort to fruition.”
An avid Beatles fan, Merdinger was delighted to record at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, and he shared the story of how it came to be:
“In 1999, I had the pleasure of working with Danny Saxon on trying to get him a record deal. He had written and demoed a number of amazing tunes but, unfortunately, he wasn’t a “boy band” and “boy bands” were what the record companies were signing at the time. I lost track of Danny shortly thereafter, but following the nostalgic ride of my Troubadour EP, I decided to reconnect with him. I had recorded some demos of a few of the songs of his that we were pitching in ’99 and was eager to play them for him. I finally caught up with him and we arranged to meet up in London in September 2022. When he heard my demos, he was enthralled and agreed that I should not only record the songs, but that he would produce me, along with his production partner, Mark Jaimes. Since the album was to be partially recorded in London, it was the perfect opportunity for me to live my dream of recording at Abbey Road. Â Danny flew to Phoenix, AZ in October for a week of sessions at Brick Road Studio in Scottsdale, and we finished tracking in Studio 2 at Abbey Road in mid-December. In the meantime, Danny and Mark worked feverishly at MaD Studios, outside of London, to prepare all the tracks for the Abbey Road sessions.Â
As an avid Beatles’ enthusiast, the opportunity of recording in that iconic room, in that historic building, was beyond my wildest imagination. It has an energy that captivates the soul and inspires the ultimate artistry possible. It was my honor, and the experience of a lifetime, to have recorded there.”
‘Hidden Gems’ is out now. You can find out more about Wayne Merdinger and his music online on his official website, Facebook, Spotify, and YouTube.
