Americana Highways is hosting this video premiere of Rebecca Folsom’s song “Brothers” from her recently released album Sanctuary. Sanctuary was produced by 3-time Grammy winner Tom Wasinger and Rebecca Folsom with additional co-production by Shaun Martin, Steve Szymanski, Carli Zug and Mark Oblinger. It was engineered by Tom Wasinger with assistant engineering by Michael Van Wagoner. Mixing was courtesy of James Tuttle, Tom Wasinger, Rebecca Folsom, with additional mixing by Kevin Clock and Steve Szymanski. It was mastered at Airshow Mastering by David Glasser
Rebecca co-wrote the song with Mark Oblinger and it was recorded with a number of inmates from a local prison, in collaboration with The Realness Project, a nonprofit that supports incarcerated men and women in reshaping their lives.
Musicians on the song are Rebecca Folsom on lead vocals, Mark Oblinger on guitar, Eric Thorin on bass, Christian Teele on drums, Tom Wasinger on Weissenborn, and Eric Moon on piano. Backing vocals were sung by Mark Oblinger, Robert Johnson, John Scott Clough, Mike Clough, Amy Jacquemard, Greg Jones, Freddie Diez, Orlando Guevara, Perry Sawano, Huyna Tam, Fred Barker, Augustine Quidachay, William Webb, Robert Ray, Monsel Dangen, and Nathan Dunlap.
The recording of the prisoners was captured inside the Colorado State Penitentiary. The music video production here is by John Scott Clough at Cloughnine, with assistance from Mike Clough.
Take a deep breath and think about how those in prison make it day by day, after a mistake or one very bad decision they can never undo. Rebecca Folsom invited and arranged for some folks in the Colorado State Penitentiary to participate in this song, with their harmonious vocals lifting and rising with hers: “brothers, we are not alone… we are capable of so much beauty … can we reach out to each other?” “My life is not a waste.” Let’s be open, all of us, to repairing the damage that’s been done. Something to think about in this thoughtful song and portrayed in the video footage.
This song was an extraordinary journey. I was invited into the prisons and state penitentiary with the nonprofit organization The Realness Project. I moved past thick walls, barbed wire fences, clanging gates, and my own fears to workshop with a group of prisoners. Many of the prisoners we worked with are in prison for life and have been discarded by society. I was so deeply moved to meet every individual and hear their unique stories, their desires for redemption and meaning in life. The experience changed me.
The Realness Project is doing powerful work helping prisoners build personal skills around communication, self-knowledge, and becoming positive leaders. The prisoners shared their stories and I wrote from their experiences. I co-wrote with Grammy nominee Mark Oblinger. I then went back into the penitentiary and filmed and recorded the prisoners singing. We had the opportunity to go back and share the music video with them and put on a concert for a larger group in the penitentiary. The men who sang on the album and music video then performed. We had big men with tattooed eyebrows coming up in tears. — Rebecca Folsom
Find the music and more information here: https://www.rebeccafolsom.com/albums
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Rebecca Folsom “Sanctuary”