"Long Ways From Home", the new album by Andy Wilkinson and Andy Hedges is now available!



Long Ways from Home is a collection of songs old and new, traditional and contemporary, all cut from the same cloth of the fundamental fabric of the human story: wanderers and travelers making their way in unknown territory, cowboys and explorers cutting for sign on new trails, and all those lost and lonely in the realms of the mind or the heart or the spirit. As with their past projects, the young Andy Hedges has sought out the old while the senior Andy Wilkinson has crafted the new, all collaboratively arranged and laid down with with the freshness and edge of real time recording that features the harmonies of Alissa Hedges and special guests Don Edwards (six string banjo) and Curtis Peoples (bass).

The track is as follows:

Everybody Ought to Treat A Stranger Right (Blind Willie Johnson)
Gideon - For Townes Van Zandt (Andy Wilkinson)
Rambler Gambler (Public Domain)
Tabasco (Andy Wilkinson)
Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me (Mississippi John Hurt)
Mole in the Ground (Public Domain)
Tell Me How (Andy Wilkinson)
West Texas Blues (Public Domain/Andy Wilkinson)
Centerline (Andy Wilkinson)
Boll Weevil (Public Domain)
A Home for Me (Andy Wilkinson)

Check out Andy's Myspace page.

Upcoming gigs:

2010

January 19th - La Diosa Cellars - Lubbock, TX

January 27-30 - National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (with Andy Wilkinson) - Elko, NV

February 21 - WPA Songs @ The Mahon Public Library, 2:00 pm - Lubbock, TX

February 23 - La Diosa Cellars - Lubbock, TX

February 26-28 - The Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Alpine, TX

March 16 - Guitar Pull @ Melissa Grimes' Studio West - Lubbock, TX

April 9th - House Concert with The Rappin' Cowboy - Lubbock, TX

April 13 - The Hang-And-Rattle Folk - An Operetta by Andy Wilkinson @ The International Cultural Center, Texas Tech - Lubbock, TX

April 16-17 - National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum - Andy Wilkinson & Andy Hedges will receive the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Traditional Western Album for their 2009 release, Welcome to the Tribe!- Oklahoma City, OK

April 23 - Dust Bowl Songs with Andy Wilkinson - Boise City, OK

April 24 - Ranch Day - Ranching Heritage Center (with Andy Wilkinson and Red Steagall) - Lubbock, TX

April 24 - Private Gig - Amarillo, TX

May 21 - Sibley Nature Center (with Andy Wilkinson) - Midland, TX


Words from Don Edwards:

"Andy Hedges makes no claim to being a cowboy but he has the cowboy spirit, integrity, and the heart that makes his music so undeniably real. Andy could very well carry on the traditions when all us old guys are gone. I'd feel assured in knowing the music of our great American West was in good hands." - Don Edwards

Andy's new album, "Welcome to the Tribe", a joint project with Andy Wilkinson is now available from www.yellowhousemusic.com

Check out Andy & Andy's new myspace page @ www.myspace.com/welcometothetribe

Here are a couple of new reviews:

Andy Wilkinson is not a working cowhand, but his innovative portrayals and salutes to the life (not to mention his cranky Western commentary) never fail to register as spot-on accurate with those who know. It's earned him bona fide star status at rigidly authentic cowboy events such as Elko's, Alpine's, Lubbock's, Nara Visa's (which he helped found) and others.

Now Wilkinson has teamed with his popular young poet/singer protégé Andy Hedges to produce a unique CD that is chock full of rare offerings. Among their dives into the classic stuff, there's a "Diamond Joe" using Cisco Houston verses and the chorus of a blues song with the same title, perhaps only the second recording of the song "Wild West Rambler," and "Old Paint Medley" involving the uncommon second verse done by Woody Guthrie and the song "The Horse With The Union Label" within it. There's a stunningly authentic a capella treatment of "This Dreary Life." There are several interesting amalgams here...gathered pieces and versions of songs joined to create something special. And the CD's title song could put to rest forever the argument of what constitutes a genuine cowboy. Or it could start the argument all over again!!!

The performances are just rustic enough to be solidly believable and yet remain thoroughly musical thanks in part to the cultural sensitivity of players like Bob Livingston, Lloyd Maines and the others.

Andy Wilkinson's album releases are infrequent and seem to pretty much come about only when he decides something needs to be said. They rank among the most valued and important albums of the last twenty years. As people listen, listen and listen again to really get what's going on here, I have no doubt Welcome To The Tribe will be welcomed into that revered echelon.

- Rick Huff, Best of the West Reviews


Welcome to the Tribe, real cowboy folk music by Andy Hedges and Andy Wilkinson marries tradition and the present in an important, masterful album that celebrates the "keepers of the code" and the "members of the tribe." With a mix of classic cowboy songs and fresh originals—some written by Andy Wilkinson and some collaborations by the two—it's not about exclusion, but it's about principle. The songs on Welcome to the Tribe are sometimes frank, sometimes funny, and always entertaining.

Both Hedges and Wilkinson are songwriters, poets, and performers—and folk historians.
In the liner notes for the opening track, "Welcome to the Tribe (for Buck, Buster, and Bob)," Andy Wilkinson writes about his inspiration for the song and sets up all that is to come, "While making an introduction of Bob Moorhouse, Buster Welch listed the three things that it takes to make a cowboy....the very best, most succinct description of the cowboy code I've heard since Buck Ramsey defined it as 'being in the right place at the right time....'"

Welcome to the Tribe offers one sterling performance after another.

Traditional selections shine with carefully crafted arrangements. They include "The Cowboy's Soliloquy," "Diamond Joe," the lesser known "Wild West Rambler," and a resonant a cappella performance of "The Dreary Dreary Life" by Andy Wilkinson. Their "Old Paint Medley" is an entrancing study of the familiar cowboy standard, with an infrequently-sung verse by Woody Guthrie and the inspired incorporation of "The Horse With a Union Label."

The original songs are filled with novel, smart lyrics. "The Palm Leaf Lid" pokes fun at the "all hat" types ("Now if you never break a sweat nor pitch into a wreck, it's logical to wear a Silver Belly 100X...but if you mix it up outside an air-conditioned rig..."). Their amusing, catchy, and absolutely sparkling "The Glitterbus" says all there is to say about "fame" (the liner notes simply caution, "It's best to stay off this bus."). Andy Wilkinson's "The Lost Lonesome High" is a plain-truth story of today's cowboy "All day in the pickup runnin' errands to town, when I shoulda been horseback, prowlin' some ground, what once was the orders for a half-dozen hands is now the to-do list for a single camp man."

Another standout is Wilkinson's "The Keepers of the Code" (for Jack and Peter)." Again, the liner notes make an important statement, "Some of us think that Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood oaters would have completely gutted cowboy music if it hadn't been for the folk revival of the 1950s, in particular the work of Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Peter LaFarge. This song is for them." The lyrics make their case and offer lines for an enduring cowboy music philosophy and anthem: "It don't matter where you're from, it's just where you're goin', it don't matter what you've done, it's just what you do, sing where you live, live where you're singin', it don't matter who's listenin' to you."

Amanda Shires, Lloyd Maines, Bob Livingston, and other top musicians join Hedges and Wilkinson with a level of excellence that holds throughout the entire project, from the songwriting, singing, and continuity to the package design.

If they are spinning CDs in the Great Beyond, the likes of Buck Ramsey, Jack Thorp, Alan Lomax, and other members of the tribe and keepers of the code will have Welcome to the Tribe on their top shelves.

- Margo Metegrano, Cowboypoetry.com

From the liner notes by Andy Wilkinson:

A dozen or so years ago, through the graces of Buck Ramsey--who was never averse to strays or mavericks--I was first drawn into the cowpunch culture of the American West. There was at that time much discussion of exactly who belonged to the cowboy tribe, and of what constituted the music and poetry of the clan. As influenced by Mel Torme and Albert Camus as by Slim Critchlow and Gene Rhodes, Buck chose to err on the side of inclusiveness, for he understood, in ways that none of the rest of us ever could, that it was the spirit that made the cowboy, not the other way around.

Buck Ramsey is gone, too soon and, now it seems, too long, but that same question lingers. And like so much of contemporary American discourse, the sides have grown hardened and unyielding. Traditionalists have beaten their swords from the scholarship of ethnomusicology, while Nashville wannabes have armed themselves with ambition and glitz. Between the two camps is a tricky minefield, littered with the remains of those who'd like to have it both ways.

That is why the music of Andy Hedges is so refreshing. Claiming to be neither cowboy nor cowboy singer, his work plainly shows the heritage of each. His voice is honest and unpretentious, his guitar work and effortless and unconscious blend of folk and modern styles, both set to work on material that crosses the turns of two centuries.

For if the spirit makes the cowboy--as Buck Ramsey demonstrated--then surely it is that same spirit that makes cowboy music, for cowboy music was always like the cowboy: unsuitable for fencing, impossible to corral, unwilling to go any way but its own. Which pretty well describes the music of Andy Hedges.

Andy Wilkinson
Lubbock, Texas
August, 2004



Andy Hedges manages to be both pioneering and traditional in City Boys. He approaches these eclectic folk tunes with a purity and a venerable wisdom. His music is straightforward, his voice fresh and confident, and there is an unassailable integrity and intelligence in the choices and the arrangements. Some tunes have been around for a hundred years, and some are modern. His interpretations make this collection burst with the excitement of something that's never been done before. Like the people he writes and sings about, Andy Hedges straddles an old world and a new. He is comfortably and deeply seated in the tradition, and at the same time, he soars into the bright future with this remarkable recording. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to hear his music.

Margo Metegrano
Cowboypoetry.com



The album is outstanding - something different while remaining true to the spirit of western music. It's interesting how you managed to affect an old sound and a new sound in the same project. It was good to hear "Wild Buckaroo", an often-overlooked Curly Fletcher tune. And I think you may have cut the definitive version of "The Roving Gambler." Thanks for including all those verses. Another favorite is Andy Wilkinson's "Dreams Drive the Brazos." But the truth is,every cut works well in a nice mix of western-celtic-old-time-scottish-traditional-contemporary CD. You've achieved something rarely accomplished in any recorded music. You've assembled an album of music that comes at the listener from a different angle with every song while maintaining a cohesiveness that keeps the listener from losing interest. In fact, if anything, that interest is heightened with the beginning of each tune. Your album gets 5 stars in my book.

Marvin O'Dell
Around the Campfire
Classicheartland.com



Andy Hedges has made a good name for himself as a high-quality performer on the cowboy poetry circuit. His recitations of long, complicated, and classic cowboy poems, both traditional and contemporary, are to be lauded and admired.
There may be many folks out there who do not know that Andy is also a good cowboy singer, and this CD is a shining monument to that fact.
Produced by Andy Wilkinson, a Texan who knows how cowboy music should sound, City Boys presents a fine collection of traditional and contemporary songs, many of which have not had wide circulation.
Among the traditional songs are Jamie Raeborn's Farewell, Mustang Gray, More Pretty Girls, and Roving Gambler. Also included are several Wilkinson originals such as The Tribe of the Forty and Found, Dreams Drive the Brazos,and Jody.
Added to these are songs by Bob Dylan, Girls From the North Country; Don McLean, Bronco Bill's Lament; Curley Fletcher, Wild Buckaroo; Rod Taylor, Dust and Horns; and Andy Hedges, City Boys.
Andy has a good voice, Wilkinson is a good producer, and they've assembled a credible collection of songs.

Darrell Arnold
Cowboy Magzine



The lead-off song on this CD was written by Andy Wilkinson. It's titled "The Tribe of Forty & Found," and it opens with an acoustic guitar and fiddle. From the very first notes you know you're in for a real treat, something a little different from most other music coming out these days. It's acoustic music that links past and present, with traditional tunes played back to back with the likes of Wilkinson, Rod Taylor and even Bob Dylan.

The singer is Andy Hedges, and his rustic voice seems made for this music. He wrote the title song, but the album isn't about city boys. It's about, for, and mostly by cowboys.

OJ Sikes
Rope Burns Magazine



Andy Hedges is a real find. Andy Wilkinson liked him so much that he produced Hedges' first music CD, City Boys. I saw and heard what Wilkinson liked so much about this young Brownfield-based artist at a CD release party in November, 2004 and asked Hedges to join the Yellowhouse Music family. A couple of days later I listened to City Boys on a 180-mile trek from Lubbock to Snyder and back.

It was ALL I listened to--that's almost three times through the CD.

City Boys is one of the most refreshing pieces of work I have heard in a long time. This first effort is almost one hour in length and includes no fillers. A pleasing mix of cowboy and folk, City Boys features solid guitar work and heart-felt vocals that make it irresistible. Some great tunes, many traditional, are featured here. My favorite? Jamie Raeborn's Lament, an old Scottish ballad, sounds like it was written for Andy--but this CD is filled with equally solid recordings. Although best known for his cowboy poetry, Andy gives us a hint of his songwriting ability with the title cut, a song that speaks to the cowboy in many of us that longs to escape the trappings of city life (pickers and cowboys aren't so different). Rod Taylor's Dust and Horns is also a standout for me, and I further like Dreams Drive the Brazos, one of three songs written by our own Andy Wilkinson.

Wilkinson recently wrote of Hedges, claiming to be neither cowboy nor cowboy singer, his work plainly shows the heritage of each. His voice is honest and unpretentious, his guitar work an effortless and unconscious blend of folk and modern styles, both set to work on material that crosses the turns of two centuries.

We are indeed pleased to welcome Andy Hedges to Yellowhouse Music.

Brad Carter
Yellowhouse Music



Although Andy is only in his mid-twenties, he's been around Western music for about ten years. He was named the Academy of Western Artists' Cowboy Poet of the Year for 2004 and has loads of talent and maturity for his age- which is kind of obnoxious for us old guys but we'll overlook it. He has been working on this CD for awhile now with super producer/songwriter Andy Wilkinson of Lubbock (who also just produced Kip Calahan's new CD and is going to be working with my buddy, Jim Wilson). Andy's new CD includes some more traditional cowboy songs, including the title track, City Boys, which he wrote as well as some excellent songs by Andy Wilkinson. In addition, he included a Woody Guthrie tune, a Dylan tune and an old Don McLean song, Bronco Billy's Lament, that is really cool. This is a Western album but it fits comfortably in the Americana/roots acoustic genre and is really worth giving a listen.

Jim Jones
Singer/Songwriter
Corrales, New Mexico



I would call this CD a collection of folk music. Folk music in the western tradition and I was delighted by it. Way to go Andy!

I enjoyed listening to this CD. It was full of surprises and great musical tidbits, while maintaining this lovely level of western feel. It doesn't sound Nashville; it doesn't even sound Texas Swing, though it is done by a Texas musician. Instead it carries the authenticity of the western message, with great traditional selections like "Mustang Gray" and "Ye Objects of Sense/ Song of Texas." These songs are done very well and Andy's voice is a surprise too. He is a fine cowboy poet and I have seen him perform many times as well as listened to his CD of poems. It has been a staple of my weekly cowboy radio show, so I was delighted to hear the rich and real tones of Andy's voice. He isn't a crooner, he's kind of rough sounding and it fits the music beautifully.

The arrangements on the CD are really good. You can tell Andy Hedges and Andy Wilkinson the producer, went for the down home sound of real trail music, but of course, they spoil our attuned ears with beautifully layered sounds. It is a great CD. I loved the instrumentation on City Boys and the sentiment is fun. Andy singing, "Here's to the city boys who'd love to head out west." But my favorite line is the one about "Traditions that ain't never gonna change." I think that shows a lot of maturity, it takes a while to understand the strength of a well kept custom.

Lauralee Northcott
Dollar Watch Cowboy Show
Radio Station KVLR
Winthrop, WA



I have known Andy since he began doing cowboy poetry several years ago. Needless to say I was very excited when he told me about this upcoming release, City Boys.

Andy brings the spirit of Texas and the cowboy to life in this new release.

The dreams and desires of "City Boys" are fulfilled in the songs that are included in this CD. From old traditional, seldom heard songs, to songs penned by songwriters Andy Wilkinson, Curly Fletcher, Don McLean, Rod Taylor and Bob Dylan, the listener is taken on the trip of a lifetime. Andy's own song, "City Boys" tells of the long time desires of "wanna be" cowboys who are smothered within their brick walls, surrounded by concrete while the cowboy lives the life of their dreams in the wide open spaces of the west.

"Jamie Raeborn's Farewell" tells the story of how many young men had to leave their homes across the seas only to end up astride a horse following a herd across the barren plains of Texas. But these young men brought with them their traditions and music, the basis of cowboy life today.

The sentimental side of the cowboy comes alive in "Dreams Drive the Brazos," "More Pretty Girls," "Girl from the North Country," and "Roving Gambler," while grief and hard times are experienced in "Jody" and "Mustang Gray."

Other views of a cowboy's life are heard in the songs "The Tribe of the Forty and Found," "Wild Buckaroo," and "Dust and Horns."

Andy will introduce you to the old time Sacred Harp singing with "Ye Objects of Sense" and the adaptation of this hymn in "Song of Texas." Sacred Harp singing predates the Civil War in the south. It is a four part, acappella form of singing that found its way into southern churches. It is a unique form of singing that is kept alive in the south today. Joe Taylor, Tom and Kathy Taylor and Mary Alice Latimer add this special treat to this CD.

From beginning to end you will be anxiously awaiting the next song just to see what is coming next. This is a wonderful CD and would make a great gift for the friends you know who would love to live life in the west and it would also make a great gift for those of us lucky enough to call the west our home. Andy is to be commended for allowing us to become a part of these wonderful songs.

Linda Kirkpatrick
Cowgirl Poet
Leaky, Texas



Howdy To All AWA Members and Music Fans Everywhere, My good pard Andy Hedges just sent me notice of his new CD release, and I thought I'd pass the word on to you. I had a chance to listen to it in depth recently when Andy and I traveled out to the Gila Valley gathering in Arizona. He's definitely breaking new ground while staying true to the origins and spirit of cowboy music. It's a great concept, aided by the vision of Andy Wilkinson, and you won't go wrong with this one. It has more variety and a broader range of influences than almost any other CD you might pick up, strongly reminiscent of the approach used by some other fine musicians and pards of mine, the Gillette Brothers, but with Andy's own undeniable contemporary stamp. This one is a winner in every way. Let's give Andy a hand here, folks. He's saddled up a good one.

Ride Easy,

Dennis Gaines
Cowboy Poet/Storyteller
Kerrville, TX