This was my favorite song I learned from Elizabeth LaPrelle (who learned it from a version by Texas Gladden).  Cold Mountains isn't technically a ballad because it lacks the narrative storyline, but it is a rolling, haunting mountain song that shows, in LaPrelle's words, how nature mirrors human emotion.

Cold Mountains (Texas Gladden v)

I first heard this from a Folk Alley recording of Anna & Elizabeth. Their version is haunting and beautiful, and focuses on only one or two verses and a chorus. Anna learned it from an archived recording - I don't know if there was a singer or composer named on the recording she heard.  I'm singing my version based more closely on a recording by the Old Regular Baptists, who sing it in a style called "lining out."  This is a really old style of singing that comes from Scotland, and in the ORB recording, there is one leader, who typically sings a line, and then the rest of the congregation (choir) sings the line together after him.  Everyone sings in unison; there's no harmony, so it has a drone effect, much like the drone of a bagpipe.  I combined lyric sources because the recording I based my melody on left out a verse that Anna & Elizabeth used that I really liked.  This is more of a traditional mountain/religious song than a true ballad, but it's a good one, all the same.

I Am a Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow (various sources)

Amanda Winterhalter: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Geoff Larson and Rebecca Young: Upright and Electric Bass
Wes Weddell: Acoustic and Electric Guitar
RL Heyer: Electric Guitar
Lucien La Motte: Pedal Steel, Electric Guitar
Aimee Zoe: Drums
Rick Weber: Drums
Alex Guy: Viola and Violin
Natalie Hall: Cello
David Mariott: Horn & String Arrangements, Trombone, Euphonium
Nelson Bell: Tuba & Bass Trombone
Sean Divine: Harmonica
Background Vocals: Joy Mills, Reggie Garrett, Tom Parker

All songs written by Amanda Winterhalter
Produced by Geoff Larson
Engineered and Mixed by Moe Provencher
Mastered by Rachel Field at Resonant Mastering
Graphic Design and Album Art by Travis Young at Inkd
Copyright Amanda Winterhalter 2016 (c)

Olea

Sugar Water

I'm 100 Years Old

Whippo'wil

Fast & Close

The Spider

Shirt

SEER

Run Like Hell

Bad Idea

What's This Death? is the title track from Amanda Winterhalter's forthcoming LP release.

Written by Amanda Winterhalter 

Arranged by Amanda Winterhalter, Geoff Larson, Nick Drozdowicz, and Rick Weber 

Amanda Winterhalter on lead vocals & acoustic guitar; Geoff Larson on upright bass; Rick Weber on drums; Nick Drozdowicz on electric guitar; Ed Brooks on pedal steel; Reggie Garrett on backing vocals; Alex Guy on violin and viola. 

Produced by Johnny Sangster 
Recorded & Mixed by Johnny Sangster at Crackle & Pop! Studio 
Assistant Engineering by Jon Roberts 
Mastered by Rachel Field at Resonant Mastering 
Photo by Kittenteeth, Design by Amanda Winterhalter 

© Amanda Winterhalter 2019

What's This Death

What's This Death?

This song was written in January 2021 for a Bushwick Book Club Seattle show presenting original music inspired by Prince's memoir The Beautiful Ones.

Song by Amanda Winterhalter and Rebecca Young
Vocals - Amanda Winterhalter
Bass - Rebecca Young
Piano - Jason Staczek
Engineered, mixed, mastered and produced by Moe Provencher
Video by Aimee Zoe

Amanda Winterhalter

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