DESCRIPTION:
First track from the new album from genre benders The Raptor Trail. "Devil on an Indian”- Concept album dealing with the internal spiritual warfare that stems from a young man coming to grips with his Native American Indian heritage after being raised in 21st century white Christian morality. A near life ending motorcycle accident in the desert continues a mystical, poetic, and spiritual journey of self awareness and understanding, concluding that the heart of man is inherently evil. Set to 10 songs in three movements that seamlessly segue from one song to another, ending with the apocalyptic demise of the world. Album will hit CD Baby, iTunes & everything else on Oct 28th.

Visit www.theraptortrail.com for more information.

Song story:

Gene - Drums
Matt - Lead and background Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Guijo
John - Background Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars, G-Strings, Bass, Organ

Clouds hide
The long, lost Comanche moon
The smell of the sweet grass and sage
The high plains in early June
Three sixes on the highway sign…

Road winds
Through the darkness the headlight shines
Turning gear and motor hum
Where road and wheels are one
Like a dream on the run

When the moon hides the sun
Like a dream on the run……

School yard
And the reading of your tarot cards
Rarely ever speak the truth
Peyote in the cactus root
And the desert flower blooms

And all that was old, is new
And the desert flowers bloom…..


John: This is one Matt had the basics up for, but we completed writing on one drinking night up at his place on at Deerwoode in January '16. Jim Beam worked well that night. Maybe too good, as we stayed up until about 7am. I think that's the first time either he or I had actually sat down with anybody else at the same time to write, but it surprised us both how much we got done!

We knew we wanted to start the album with this one (as it was the first song of the story - duh), but I kind of wanted something else to bring it in. I looked around for all sorts of sounds, but couldn't find what I wanted, so I just drug out an old $20 Yamaha synth (vintage from 1947) and exposed my keyboard mastery at the beginning. Yeah - I suck, but it still kind of got the point across as it fades into the main part of the song.


Matt: Well, this was the first one up for this project and the first time John and I had actually sat in the same room and worked on stuff. I guess we figured the Jim Beam would either make us happy or kill each other. You lose all sense of time recording in my bomb shelter, ghetto studio in my basement as there are no windows. The sun was well up when we finally emerged.

I had most of the idea hashed out for this tune but John kind of gave it the finishing additions it needed. I knew we wanted a mid tempo rocker to kick it off as to tie in with the feel and image of a man starting off on a midnight motor cycle ride through the desert, so this melody fit. This song is about a young man riding through the deserts of New Mexico on Highway 666 on an Indian motor cycle, reflecting on the demise and decimation of his Native American Indian culture and heritage. I was actually on hwy 666 back in the late 90s with JC one night and I remember the smell of the sage. The tarot cards line comes from an encounter I had in Austin TX years ago. I will just say I freaked the lady out reading them. She packed all her stuff up real quick, said “I can’t do this,” and ran into her hotel room. I figured she saw a Comanche.

Anyway, most of this whole album deals with the spiritual warfare I have experienced wrestling with American Indian and Christian spirituality. Ten Bears was one of the last great Chiefs of one of the six or so Comanche bands, and I’m pretty sure he never signed any of the US Govt treaties. Seemed like a good title. If you want to know more about hwy 666 and how all this ties into this story, check this video. The last verse really ties into the whole mystical aspect as interpreted by the American Indians.