Sleepy Gaucho's beautiful new album exists between two worlds

Sleepy Gaucho is a name taken from a unique self identity and transformed into one of the most beautiful songwriters in our city. I had the pleasure of speaking with Andy Goitia, a.k.a. Sleepy Gaucho, about his beautiful new record "Morning Light." 

This album squarely lives in the past and in the present at the same time. The past starts with a love for recording to tape. Andy’s debut album, recorded in London, intensified the love of recording to tape. Having worked in studios across the pond and here in Wisconsin, Andy knew that the analog warmth and creativity that happens when you record to tape would drive the sound of this album. Tracking the record between Wisconsin and Illinois also opened the door for some new and exciting collaborations. Musicians from Milwaukee, Nashville and even Patrick Sansone of Wilco all blended their talents to create the fully realized and lush sounds of morning light. 

https://radiomilwaukee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Sleepy-Gaucho-Interview.mp3

Two years of time is what it took to get this album to the state it’s in today. Time well spent and ultimately rewarded as we the audience were given more time in 2020 to spend with records like this. 

While this album was recorded to tape, the final mixing process was also given much more space and time. In that time he was able to spend on crafting the sound and shape of the record, ultimately yielding the result he was looking for. The reality of the pandemic, forced Andy to rethink his creative process. Not only how he creates records but how he promotes and shares the new music he spent so much time working on.

This album lives squarely in between two worlds. A world that is old school and analog and slow -- and also in a world that is Internet-based, socially distanced and moving fast. We spoke about the album artwork for this project as well. Combination of old-school photography and collage work, with computer graphics and digital presentation offers a parallel to the sonic experience and the creative process that Andy went through. 

We also discussed some of Andy's favorite releases from the city of Milwaukee this year, including Motel Breakfast and You Win!!!, and shared our hopes that Joseph Huber gives us some new music in 2021.

Andy and I also shared in our optimism that when we as a society find control and normalcy again there will be a rich appetite for live musical performance. For a performer like Andy, this year has been particularly difficult to navigate. Sharing in the live music experience both creating and receiving drives his musical creativity. We both look forward to a summer filled with live music and camaraderie.

I strongly encourage you to take a listen to this album. I also encourage you to purchase this album, on vinyl if you are a record collector. This beautiful project deserves to stay on your record shelf for many years to come.