Welcome Home: Three Leaf in Ghana

San Marcos-based Americana/folk group Three Leaf have just returned from a couple of months in Ghana with their dear friends, fellow musicians Gouda, where they helped the neo-traditional Ghanaian band record their album. Setting up a makeshift studio in Accra, the friends played and recorded together for several weeks amidst weddings, performances at Alliance Francais and more. What came out of the trip beyond the steadfast comfort of friendship, the joy of exploration and the beauty of collaborative musicianship was a three song EP which Three Leaf is happy to share for free on their Web site.

The friendship was born years ago when Three Leaf's bassist, Kent Chandler, visited Ghana and met Gouda. Kwame Wadada (xylophone), Agbeko Gidi (kpalango drums), Owuo Kebibaya (gome), Fire (gourds and shakers), Agbo (flute), and Ahenfie (bell) invited the Texans to Ghana to record with them, and the new EP is worth the cost of all those plane tickets. Chris Brennand, Three Leaf's guitarist, reflected on the trip and recording process for us, saying, "Making the EP was quite the experience and a real experiment in making the best of what was around. From running around Accra trying to borrow or rent instruments, to running the guitar through an old stereo receiver and borrowed speaker." He adds, "Mixing in the guys from Gouda and getting their influence on the sound was exciting and the parts they added brought up all sorts of new ideas within the songs." Expect to see the songs again on Three Leaf's upcoming album.

Download the songs here, and we recommend starting with "Ritual" (featuring Dela Botri), a jaunty pop song that utilizes the traditional instruments of Western Africa along with acoustic guitars, kick drums and blatantly Western lyrics. The result of this mixture is a combination of both neo-traditional Ghanaian music, nods to highlife roots, moments of more Simon-esque Afropop and (wait for it) almost Paul Westerberg-ish vocals fused together in perfect harmony. Listening to the tunes immediately reflect the companionship and honest joy in composition the two groups shared during their trip.

For more information about Three Leaf and their travels to Ghana, read the travel blog and check out the photos.

Three Leaf MySpace
Three Leaf's Ghana Blog
Photos from Ghana
Three Leaf & Gouda "Ritual" (mp3)