Backroads is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, with money by the vote of the people, November 4th, 2008.

I'm a shell of a man people don't know my name, Pass me on the street they got to look the other way My twisted smile and my whiskey breath People say I belong among the walking dead 'Cause I'm a dead man walking I'm a dead man walking to his grave I live my life like a bird I was always flying free But no matter where I turn my demons kept following me In my back they'd sink their fangs and claws Lord knows that I'm weak because I always go along 'Cause I'm a dead man walking, I'm dead man walking to his grave.

I walk alone on the dark side of the road Carrying my coffin with me everywhere I go And that gate is open wide down at the cemetery And I go along inside where I lay myself to sleep.

'Cause I'm a dead man walking I'm a dead man walking I'm a dead man walking to his grave I've been involved with music my entire life.

But I played trumpet in high school, little bit in college, and then I kind of put music away with the exception of karaoke bars had a lot of fun with those.

And then it was after my dad died when I was 25, he died by suicide, and I was in a year of very, very bad depression.

And after about a year I decided to buy a guitar, take lessons, and learn how to play.

And I've been playing ever since.

It's really healing to play.

I went down to the shoreline to watch the sun rise I went down to sit alone felt the breeze and caught the light Turning stone brown to gold and I am alone Turning stones brown to gold and I am alone Ahh...

I entered through the trailhead to breath the fresh air I walked the trail alone but I thought I'd find you there Turning stones brown to gold and I am alone Turning stones brown to gold and I am alone Ahhh... Ahhh... Ahhh... My songwriting process is probably a little bit both preparation and just catching that magic in a bottle, that light lightning in a bottle you know that happens.

So I'm always ready to start writing down some lyrics if they come to me.

I think a lot of songwriters use their voice memo on their phone I'm like that as well, but also having a pad and paper around.

I've pulled over on the side of a road to write many a lyric.

And I've had to, you know, take a break from the day job.

I'm going to go take a break real quick because I've thought of some lyrics, and I just want to jot them down.

In the year of nineteen twenty seven There was little time to get things right On the edge of town in the middle of summer Little Ida Mae was a fright Off to the courthouse on a public complaint Trembling in fear she knew her fate She could lie to the judge but and everyone knew The bastard's father was Father John Laboon They cried, "Could this be?

- oooh!

Woah-woah is me."

Father John led young Ida down to the river To wash away their sins "The baby can come but leave your sister at home, This has nothing to do with her They cried," Could this be?

- Oooh!

woah is me."

The court issued judgment for the requisite amount Bastardy bond, but no bastard was found Sister Jessie was screamin' in the woods On the banks of the river, in terror she stood She cried, "Could this be - Oooh!

Woah - woah is me.

Could this be - woah - woah is me."

Yeah, so the group the Front Porch Sinners came out of necessity, I had no dreams or ambitions about having a band.

I assumed there was a lot of drama with bands at least that's what society tells us, and the media shows us, so I didn't want a band.

But I had written enough songs for my first album.

And I needed a band to go into the studio.

And so I asked a bunch of really great friends if they would help out.

And after that experience, I realized this could actually be a lot of fun.

When we got together as a group, we needed a name because we were going to be doing the release show.

And I wanted to think of something that kind of was a tip of the hat to the Grand Olde Opry days, you know, Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two and, you know, all of these bands that were the lead person followed by a group name.

I grew up in central Hillside of Duluth, Minnesota.

And my brothers and I caused a lot of trouble on the front porch.

And I would say some of what we did maybe some relatives would call it sinning.

So I decided to name the group the Front Porch Sinners.

In Jackson county south of Windom east of Worthington I was going about 90 crossing US 71 on my tail red and blue they don't know, they don't have a clue Where am I going?

Where am I gonna go?

Under the grove of the old oak trees that's where I'll be, under the grove of the old oak trees I'll be with my family Blood on my hands and a gun on the seat Oh Mama pray for me I don't see any way out it's my fault I'm going down on my tail red and blue, they don't know, they don't got a clue Where am I'm going?

Where am I gonna go?

Under the grove of the old oak trees, that's where I'll be, under the grove of the old trees I'll be with my family In a cloud of red dirt I jumped out my car, fell to my knees, And I put up my arms, bullets tore through me the last sound I heard my body hit the ground Under the grove of the old oak trees that's where I'll be Under the grove of the of the old oak trees, That's where they'll bury me.

Under the ground of the old oak trees, that's where I'll be, under the grove of the old oak trees I'll be with my family That's where you can bury me.

Our band has been around for quite a long time.

We have a couple of albums out there in EPs.

And I'd love for people to know that we are pressing vinyl.

My husband owns Round Here Records Duluth, he's in the band.

He and I are both vinyl fans.

We grew up on vinyl, and so our last two full albums are pressed on vinyl.

The most recent one Juniper is on a three-color heavy splatter pattern, which makes all the hipsters go oh, that looks nice, I like that.

So I would love for people to get out there and buy the vinyl, it comes with a free digital download, and really explore vinyl if they haven't in a while.

I've noticed some people are buying vinyl again but they don't have their turntables set up.

I think they should do that.

I don't know that I have a favorite part of this whole music world that I'm involved in.

But I'm really passionate about songwriting.

I really started to get interested in the singer/songwriter, songwriting challenge group on Facebook.

And considered myself after years of being involved in that group a real songwriter and it was hard to call myself a songwriter at first even though I had written songs for over ten years.

I don't know why I wasn't able to assign that title to myself and now I really own it.

I really love writing songs, whether it's for fun, or if it's for a singing telegram, or if it's for a commercial project.

I've worked with ad agencies on songs, too.

Salt in the snow, sugar in the water, chill in my bones and it's making me smaller calling out to them, 'Help me."

Blood on the trail, ice on my collar crunching the snow, and it's making me holler Calling out to them, "Help me."

Wind o'er the hills, wolves getting close Nights getting cold, and there's salt in the snow Calling out to them, "You can't get me."

One of the songs that we're performing today is Central Hillside '91.

And this song is all sorts of nostalgia for me.

I mentioned we grew up in Central Hillside.

In the '90s we didn't have cell phones.

And we got to hang out with our friends with no responsibility, we didn't have jobs.

And so, a lot of the, you know, from sunup to sundown and even past then we were just hanging out and having fun.

And those are some of the best memories that I have with my brothers.

Both of my brothers have passed away, young, way too young.

And so that song is about the nostalgia of hanging out in Central Hillside.

And I found that even if you never grew up in Central Hillside, when people listen to it, they remember when they got to hang out, you know, until the street lights went out.

On a warm summer day in Central Hillside In our city on a hill, Grandma by my side We would watch buses run up and down Fourth Avenue Watch the the helicopter land if we only knew That was then this is now it will never be the same That was us all so young playing childish games Those were the days it was fun but there's no way We can't go back to Central Hillside '91 On a cold winter night in Central Hillside We went up to the Shack best friends by our side We laced up tight hit the ice with no fear No curfew no cell phones if we only knew That was then this is now it will never be the same That was us all so young playing childish games Those were the days it was fun but there's no way We can't go back to Central Hillside '91 There's something special about a place when it happens At a time in your life when it all made sense That was then this is now it will never be the same That was us all so young playing childish games Call it what you like call it home call it love I call it Central Hillside oooh I call it Central Hillside I call it Central Hillside '91 Backroads is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, with money by the vote of the people, November 4th, 2008.