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Pat Macdonald
sleeps with his guitar

Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar is a voyage into a musical and lyrical dreamtime with one of the preeminent songwriters of the modern age. Best known as the frontman of Timbuk3, MacDonald amended the contemporary lexicon with his song "The future´s so bright, I gotta wear shades", an international Top 20 hit, while also forging elements of the hugely popular modern rock sound with Timbuk3´s "techno-roots" style.

In his first solo endeavor on ulfTone music, MacDonald generally eschews his gift for speaking (or rather writing and singing) his wisdoms through various unique personae and offers an unusually personal work instead (where even the charakters comment on him). Written and recorded following the breakup of Timbuk3 and Pat´s marriage to his musical partner Barbara K., it offers multiple meanings, like most anything Pat writes, but also shifts his focus from frequently humorous and biting social commentary to sharp-eyed exploration of his own life, heart and art.

Since Timbuk3 were discovered by the MTV show "The Cutting Edge" at the Hole In The Wall in Austin, Texas, and the signed to IRS Record, Pat MacDonald has distinguished himself as an original and gifted songwriter voice. "Shades" landed Timbuk3 on "Saturday Night Live", helped them win a Grammy nomination and launched an international career for the duo. A string of innovative recordings, consistent critical acclaim and worldwide touring established an artistic presence beyond the initial big hit for Timbuk3, who eventually coalesced into a foursome.

All along, MacDonald´s songs like "Shades" and "Hairstyles and Attitudes" (despite their ironic apocalyptic messages, have garnered offers that now total in the millions for use in advertising campaigns (most recently and – ironically – by McDonald´s) none of which Pat has accepted, which isn´t to say that MacDonald is some kind of artistic snob. After all, he´s co-written songs with such varied artists as Aerosmith, Jill Sobule and Italian superstar Zucchero, among many others. He´s also had numerous songs featured in soundtracks (for films like "Something Wild", "D.O.A.", "Untamed Heart" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II") and recently collaborated on a project with noted Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar is something of a song cycle that explores the flip sides of human relationships and the sharp edges that lie between them. As with MacDonalds past songs, there´s a potent sense of metaphor and wordplay, yet one finds some of the most direct and harrowing expressions here as well. The album´s characteristic, almost narcotic musical style comes in large quantities from Pat´s trusty, beat-up 1959 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar, tuned low. Recording his voice close and intimately, MacDonald is complemented by assorted percussion by former Timbuk3 drummer Wally Ingram, along with some choice yet sparing instrumental touches. Ultimately, the album is focused on the songs and driven by the power of the lyric and groove.

"These songs seem to be mostly about looking for something and not always knowing what it is", explains Pat. "I always wanted to dig deeper, but when you´re trying to speak for a group there´s always the pressure to be `up´. I´m not trying to bring anyone down here – music is supposed to be an uplifting thing. But there´s always two ways to lift something: you can come up from above and pull or you can get down underneath and push. I guess the latter is what I am trying to do now."

So does Pat MacDonald really sleep with his guitar. "Yeah, I do, but it´s not a sexual thing. It´s not even platonic. It´s more like a mster/slave relationship. I´m the slave."

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