“I love free music. Legitimately free music. I think there’s so much more of a connection people get with the artists they love to listen to when there’s just the art and the message and the musical soliloquy presented, devoid of any monetary mess. Should all music be free? No. Songwriters ply their craft as best they can, as meaningfully as they can, and should be compensated. No one should expect to take food out of people’s mouths or money out of someone’s wallets. And as a fan, I want to give my hard-earned money to those artists and songwriters I think deserve it.

Live & War in Texas (2011)

“The second free live album we released in 2011, Live & War in Texas, was a fun night in Plano, Texas, and I hope folks who might hear it enjoy the vibe and the atmosphere we strive to create. Life sort of has a way of creeping up on you, and the band sort of got landlocked to North Texas for most of 2011. As a result, a lot of our fans across the country missed out on catching us live. Live & War is a way for them — a small way, mind you — to experience some of the live show, how it’s changed, what songs we’ve learned and which ones we’ve resurrected. The band is constantly evolving musically as players change and songs are added or fall off the set list. I think the free records are ways to keep tabs and connect with the music of the band in a different way.

Oddities (2012)

“The most recent digital-only release, Oddities, was really born when I was cleaning out a closet and discovered original demos and some early recordings of the band. I didn’t know the best way to archive and share these, so I figured I throw them out there and see if there were any takers. The reaction has been a bit muted, but there are certainly those who are interested and entertained. Myself, I find it intriguing to hear the original demo of “Dixie Queen” (with its long-forgotten mandolin track) and listen to how it got a bit faster on the debut album and then a bit faster still during our current live sets. For me, there’s a fascination with reviewing the evolution of a song, hearing where it was born and what it has grown into. One might clearly see why some songs never made it on a studio record; others may find a diamond in the rough.

“Speaking of musical evolution, I have to say I am thankful for the fan support this band has had over the past seven years. I’ve always felt like we were free to be artists first, and that our fans honestly relish whatever new direction we think we’re headed. As I get older, I find I expand, contract, expand, contract. Commercially, it’s the not the best thing to do. You lose momentum in certain circle or fall completely out of others. My dad always says “it is what it is” and that pretty much sums up my music career. No matter where I find myself or how far we’ve traveled, I still feel a bit lost at times, a bit overwhelmed by foreign surroundings and strange sounds. I rejoice, however, in the notion that where music and art lead, the heart and feet will follow.

“The next project is ambitious and not finalized. But it is exciting and a bit scary. While I’ll write more about it soon, I can say that An Americana Primer has been brewing inside of me since we started, my perspective on the musical elements and melodies I find wholly American and indigenous to this land. I love that I live in a genre that lays claim to Dr. Ralph Stanley and Wilco, to the back porches to the mountaintops to outer space and beyond. The three EPs I’ve planned each take on a character and story of their own, but they are an honest reflection of me. It’ll be interesting to see and hear what people think.”

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You can view the video and vote here:

http://apps.facebook.com/loveinanylanguage/contests/104512/voteable_entries/18671508?ogn=facebook

I’d appreciate the votes and help getting into the Top 10. The top 10 winners get $2,000 and the grand prize winner gets $10,000 and a trip to the Latin Billboard Awards. (Oh, how I’d love to see Lost Immigrants perform at anything to do with the Latin Billboard Awards. Ha!)

Voting closes Thursday, April 21, so get on it!

Thanks, James

As a special thank you to all our fans, Lost Immigrants is giving away it’s latest live release, “Fort Worth.” The album, recorded in November 2010 on the back porch in east Fort Worth, includes songs from all three previous records.

The 10-track, lo-fi album features lead singer and principal songwriter James Dunning and guitarist Richard Davis.

“For a while now I’ve wanted to offer these songs in a very basic form to our fans,” said Dunning, “and ‘Fort Worth’ is a great way to do that. Sometimes the art of what you’re trying to say can get lost in the production of a studio record and this stripped-down format highlights the artistry and message. I loved revisiting older tunes like ‘Ghosts’ and presenting newer tunes like ‘Genevieve’ or ‘AM Radio’ in a different way. Most of our tunes start in an acoustic form, so this is a great way for music lovers to hear the fundamentals in our music.”

Download it for free at lostimmigrants.bandcamp.com.

Haven’t been able to make it out to a Lost Immigrants show this summer or it seems they never play in your neighborhood? How about your own personal concert right in your living room?

From now until the end of August, Lost Immigrants fans have the chance to win a private, acoustic house concert this fall. The band is participating in a special Hilltop Entertainment promotion that ends Aug. 14 and is announcing a concurrent contest to run until Aug. 30. This means you’ve got TWO CHANCES to a private show!

Entries for the contest/raffle/fundraiser thing are $5 for one ticket, $20 for five. (Each ticket is entered into both contests until Aug. 14. All money collected will go to offset travel and booking expenses.) You can buy tickets at an LI show or online through PayPal. The winner will be announced in the band’s September newsletter and the show scheduled for late October/early November.

To buy your ticket(s) online, click on the “Buy Now” button below and send funds to email@lostimmigrants.com. You’ll receive a confirmation from the band once payment is complete.

Distance restrictions apply. Date and time will be negotiated with contest winner(s). Contact email@lostimmigrants.com for more details.

The podcast series, which will be updated with a new track every Wednesday this summer, features songwriting partners and longtime friends James Dunning and Craig Hinkle. Both men started Lost Immigrants in 2005 and they sit down here to talk about how the songs from the new album came about, how they approach the songwriting process and what music means to them.

“This podcast series started as Craig and I were sitting around talking about music from the new album and the stories behind the songs,” said Dunning, LI’s frontman and principal songwriter. “We thought it might be cool for some of our fans to hear some of the stories about the new album in more detail, and this series allows them to do that. It may be nobody but our moms listening in, but it was fun for us to get together and sort of go ‘on-the’record’ about everything.”

Dunning said future podcasts may include audio commentary on the band’s debut album, “Waiting on Judgment Day,” or a preview of new Lost Immigrants music.

The “Pasaporte” podcast series begins June 2 and will see a new track posted for the next 11 weeks.

“I’ve known Richard for several years now,” said LI frontman James Dunning. “When Sean left to pursue things outside music, we needed to fill that void. But I didn’t want just another gunslinger to throw in the mix. Richard offers us talent at lead guitar but also at vocals and songwriting. After one rehearsal I could tell we were a better band.”

Davis has spent the past several years in the DFW music scene, playing throughout North Texas with his group, the Texas Red Legs — a finalist in the 2009 Shiner Rising Star competition. When the Red Legs disbanded late last year, Davis busied himself with solo acoustic shows and supporting other regional artists.

“My intention is to bring some complimentary energy and maybe some edge, especially live,” Davis said. “My strengths are dynamics and expression. I feel I know when to play something as a counter and when to take something to the brink. The material the Immigrants have in their catalogue is very rich as well as diverse, and my approach is just to help fill and color the spaces between James’ lyrics.”

Dunning said the addition of Davis also allows the band to consider some music directions it may not have considered previously.

“Richard’s style and musical tastes bring a cool vibe to the band’s music,” he said. “He’s already put his stamp on some familiar Immigrants tunes and we’ve already been writing and talking about new music and collaborations. His contributions are incredibly organic and I can’t wait to see where this new chapter of the band leads us.”

Davis, who is the mastermind behind indie act Richard and the Pallbearers, agrees.

“I can envision helping bring about the natural progression of the Immigrants, whatever that progression is,” he said. “I am looking forward to touring and writing with James and the rest of the guys as well. Their relationship as writers is a very symbiotic and relaxed one. I am feeling out my place in the writing process with them, and we already have some hints of very good things in the future.”

DFW fans can check out the Immigrants’ new line-up this month with shows at The Doublewide in Dallas (May 21 with Darryl Lee Rush) and Boomerjack’s in Fort Worth (May 28).

“The new CD from the Lost Immigrants is like a big, beefy, Texas fajita. It’s stuffed full of tasty songs, seasoned with Dunning’s warm voice, peppered with Isbell’s jalapeño-hot guitar licks, and all wrapped up in a Southern rock tortilla. Buen provecho my amigos.”

Great. Now we’re hungry…

Break out the Italian-English dictionary and enjoy!