Craig Bickhardt - The More I Wonder
  • Giant Steps
  • Crazy Nightingale
  • The Restless Kind
  • It Opens
  • Stan
  • Young Hearts, Wild Horses Or The Wind
  • Woman of the Mist
  • Gourd Vine
  • Momentary World
  • I'll Know When You Need Me
  • There Is No Night
  • Go Round
Press

The More I Wonder - 12 Scenes From Life, Love & Family
Craig Bickhardt - The More I Wonder

Nashville, TN— By the time Craig Bickhardt was 25 years old he'd signed a record contract with Bob Dylan's manager Albert Grossman; inked an artist development deal with legendary talent impresario and head of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun; had one of his songs recorded by Art Garfunkel; shared the concert stage with Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Stills and Harry Chapin; lost nearly everything he owned in a California house fire; and had his only guitar stolen by a junkie in NYC. It appeared as if his budding career had all the makings of a Llewen Davis-esque tale.

Despite steady touring and achieving respectable successes such as scoring and performing songs for the Academy Award winning film Tender Mercies and writing several hits (Four #1’s !) for Nashville artists, Bickhardt has remained a relatively undiscovered artist himself. Bickhardt’s label mate Nathan Bell refers to him as ‘the invisible wizard’ for his overlooked guitar chops as much as his behind-the-curtain songwriting virtuosity. Indeed, his four decades in the business have paved a general sonic familiarity that’s not easy to achieve -- by artists of any level of fame.

Although Bickhardt has perhaps flown under the mainstream, he’s certainly managed to cement an audience for his music- an audience he’s looking to expand with the release of his fifth album, The More I Wonder on May 6. “This is probably the most personal record I've made so far,” Bickhardt says, explaining that although other artists have covered his work before, everything on this set is brand-new. “I was always pleased when artists of the caliber of Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Alison Krauss or BB King recorded my songs, but I didn't write for others, I wrote for me. All comparison to cover versions of my songs is off the table because you're hearing them sung by me first.”

Bickhardt describes his latest unassumingly produced set as being vignettes about life, love and family, particularly his own family’s struggles with his son’s disability. "I've always been good at reaching in, that's what writers do best. But since becoming the father of this very brave kid who has overcome a lot of the challenges he’s faced with cerebral palsy, I've learned more about reaching out. This record documents my search for deeper empathy." The song "It Opens" sums up his quest for personal growth by acknowledging that opportunities for it are often disguised and can be found in improbable places.

While Bickhardt is excited about the new music in and of itself, he’s especially pleased for an extra reason: His daughter, Aislinn, joins him to harmonize on every track. As music aficionados well know, the vocal similarities between blood relations often yields an incomparable effect, something that Bickhardt appreciates heartily. “The sound that's created is something in the blood, in the DNA,” he explains. “It's sort of like the resonance of two adjacent strings on the same violin rather than two different violins playing harmony lines. The tone blends in a way that's appealing and natural.”

Overall, this “invisible wizard” has a simple goal in mind for The More I Wonder: Just get the music out to as many music lovers as possible. “We hope this record will change me from a well-kept secret to a less-kept secret,” he smiles.

Radio promotion: Tracey Delfino/Trespass Music/774-269-3834/Tracey@Trespassmusic.org

Booking/Management: Larry Ahearn/Trespass Music/610-574-6276/larrya@trespassmusic.org

Promo/Publicity: Michelle Fortier/Trespass Music/519-300-5954/michelle@trespassmusic.org

Publicity: Mike Farley/Michael J. Media/608-848-9707/mike@michaeljmedia.com



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