Utah Skies

A little more than 10 years ago I loaded my car and set out from Gunnison, Colorado, en route to parts of the West I’d not yet visited, landing in Missoula, Montana, for a little more than a week. That was my introduction to a lot of things, Idaho among them, but one of the things to which I was initiated was the music of Cold Mountain Rhythm Band, for which a childhood friend played the bass. It was an eclectic mix of talented young musicians, but perhaps the most charismatic was the band’s front man, Matt Lindahl, who in 2004 landed a spot on the reality television show Nashville Star, where his smooth voice, on-stage antics and songwriting talent propelled him into the finalist’s bracket of the American Idol-like competition, and he finished as one of two runners-up.

On a quest for expression and entertainment, Matt and another friend joined for the next leg of my round-the-West voyage, and we spent a night camping in the Cascades of northern Washington before arriving at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle. It was an enjoyable afternoon of gawking and helping Matt sign up for a band scramble, for which random musicians from varying backgrounds are thrown on stage together with little time to practice. I can’t seem to find his CD, Adobe Trailer Motel, for sale, but you can read about it here, and buy an mp3 of his single, Georgia on a Fast Train, here. And don’t miss Matt’s great Youtube videos. If you don’t see all of them don’t miss The Curtis Boys, A Song for Everybody and, for a more unique take on this eclectic and imaginative performer, watch Don’t Hide Your Light.

Anyway, Cold Mountain Rhythm Band, later renamed Cold Mountain, produced two CDs, and this song, which I believe was co-written by Matt and another Cold Mountain band mate instantly grabbed my attention. I sat down and worked through the chords and learned the words, and to this day it remains one of my favorite late-night campfire songs.

My musical prowess isn’t even in the same hemisphere as Matt’s, but about four years ago my brother and I decided to record a version of Utah Skies, both as a way for me to target my banjo practice and because we both think the song is so cool. The below recording was hastily done (the harmonies, in fact, were mere afterthought). But thanks Matt for writing such cool music. And hopefully this version doesn’t bastardize your work too much.

Utah Skies