While on tour in Europe in the fall of 2022, I had the opportunity to record at the legendary Hansa and Windmill Lane studios. I went in with these songs I’ve been playing solo, mixed in some new ones that I had just written and captured them in a stripped down way. I brought my acoustic, a mandolin, an e-bow and a delay pedal and that, plus the

While on tour in Europe in the fall of 2022, I had the opportunity to record at the legendary Hansa and Windmill Lane studios. I went in with these songs I’ve been playing solo, mixed in some new ones that I had just written and captured them in a stripped down way. I brought my acoustic, a mandolin, an e-bow and a delay pedal and that, plus the sound of those hallowed halls, is all you hear. These songs have the traditional and sonic weirdness mixed together, just like me.

Hansa Studios is built right by where the Berlin Wall used to stand. It’s a room where you feel rock and roll history all around. David Bowie’s face greets me as I walk in and echoes of U2 seem to still be in the walls. Windmill Lane is equally iconic and just a short walk from the River Liffey in Dublin. Kate Bush and The Waterboys ring in my ears as I stroll into the studio.

I was intimidated to record in these studios; many of my favorite albums have been made here. Finding my voice in the characters of these songs was liberating and the encouragement from engineers Arne and Michael really pushed me forward. There was a moment right before I sang Heroes where I took a deep breath and looked around. I’d been hanging out with rock and roll ghosts all day and now my spirit would haunt these spaces as well. "Enjoy this moment" I said quietly to myself and then I sang.

It's my October album.

October 6 in Berlin and October 21 in Dublin. The instrumental "October" captured a sweetness, a calm, a contentedness that was a new, unfamiliar feeling to me and I hope it brings the same feeling to you. And it sounds good loud.

~Bobbo Dec 2022

1. The Cold War (Sroka)
2. The Sea (Byrnes, Byrnes, Riddle)
3. October (Byrnes)
4. Untitled (Byrnes)
5. House of Cards (Byrnes)
6. Crooked Jack (Behan)
7. Heroes (Bowie)
8. Time Enough (Byrnes, Keating)
9. Too many miles (Byrnes)

Songs 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 recorded and engineered by Arne Bergner at Hansa Studios, Berlin, Germany October 6, 2022

Songs 2, 6, 8, 9 recorded and engineered by Michael O'Brien at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland October 21, 2022