Higher Stakes by mike skliar

These 14 songs were all written and recorded in the month of February, 2024, as part of the "February Album Writing Month' project, an on-line songwriting group that I've been active in since 2006. There's a few thousand songwriters from all over the globe who have challenged themselves to write 14 songs in a 28 day month. (I actually wrote a good deal more then that, but picked the 'best and most representative 14' for this album.)

I wrote all the words and music, (except for the song 'Words words words words' where Alex Klages wrote the lyric which I set to music). All the vocals and instruments you hear are yours truly. In the course of the album, I play acoustic guitars, harmonica, hollow and solid body electric guitars, (including a red telecaster copy gifted by a friend- thanks PM!) bass guitar, baritone guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and on about half the tracks, this neat drum machine I just started using.

These albums of mine become a sort of 'time capsule' of what I was thinking about, and what was happening to and around me while this was being written and recorded. As of this writing in early March 2024, the upcoming US elections this fall, and the war in the Mideast are, of course, on my mind a great deal. There are also the familiar-by-now thoughts about getting older, sometimes wiser, sometimes not, and a few other tales I've related about things I've seen and read about, some comic, some not so much.

I hope you enjoy! There will perhaps, on this album, be a few lines or thoughts you may not agree with, and I'd urge you to take it in the spirit it was intended, with respect and love towards all, and with hopes for a better tomorrow for everyone. (And if you still disagree, write your own album or play or novel or article and create something yourself!).

I want to thank my family (including first, my incredible wife Helen) and friends and the FAWM songwriting community for all the support and love they've shown both for this project and for my many songwriting projects over the years.

Dedicating this album to my late mom, who died last July.

mikeskliar.com