About John Dehner:
Since the mid-1980’s, John has played his songs in nightclubs and bars, basements and barns, garages and coffeehouses and festivals, from streetcorners in Barcelona to stages in Bloomington.

As a longtime presence at the periphery of Bloomington’s original music scene, Dehner has carved out a sound that falls somewhere between slightly damaged folk music and fully remodeled garage rock. He’s played with a wide variety of local talents over the years, many of whom appear on the new record, and he’s taken the stage in support of visiting artists like Richard Buckner, Vic Chesnutt, Sheryl Crow, The Hangdogs, Jimbo Mathus, Jay Bennett, and Thee Shams.
About The Band:

Danny Deckard - drums and mandolin:
For the last twenty years, Danny has kept time for a dizzying array of bands like Offramp, Kwyjibo, Jazz Fables, Freesome, Ut Haus, the Merrie Sloan Band, and one of Dehner’s all-time favorite Bloomington bands, Teacup. His ability to shift from Jazz to Rock to Fusion to Swing to whatever you can throw at him has made him one of the area’s most sought-after drummers, and his mandolin playing adds yet another texture to the Enthusiast’s sound.

Brent “Cleetus” Lamping - bass:
For most of the last fifteen years, Cleetus has been handling bass-playing duties
for Dehner’s various bands, from diesel-rockers Crew Cab Dually to SweatBee to
the Enthusiasts. He also played with Bluegrass rowdies White Lightinin Boys.
Influences include/but are not limited to: Kurt Vonnegut, Jorma Kaukonen,
Heineken, Jimmy Martin, and Phil Lesh.



Sophia Travis - accordion, piano, organ, vocals:
You may have seen her with her band Mitten, or as part of the superb all-girl supergroup Lola or with the Vulgar Boatmen. With two solo albums to her credit, Sophia is a unique and gifted singer-songwriter in her own right, and a talented multi-instrumentalist. She joins the boys onstage and in the studio when her busy schedule allows, and you can hear her musical contributions—on accordion, organ and piano and vocals---all over the record.

Merrie Sloane - vocals, guitar, upright bass:
As a solo artist, as a duo with Kate Long (Lazy Susan), and as a member of Grande Rouge (that means "liquor store" in French) and Crooked County, Merrie's been a long-time favorite of Bloomington’s roots music community.
Her self-titled solo record is available at fine music shops! Ask around!
Chances are Merrie will be up on stage with the fellas
at their next show!
Evan Farrell - lap steel:
Rest in Peace, Evan! We miss you.
When he wasn't touring as a member of Oakland-based pop-freaks Rogue Wave, or playing with one of his other outfits like Grande Rouge or Kentucky Nightmare, Evan could be spotted performing with his legendary cohorts Japonize Elephants.

In the midst of all this musical mayhem, Evan somehow found time to add his distinctive sound to Childhood Music, playing lap steel on four songs. For that and for much more we are eternally grateful, indeed.


 
Joe Donnelly - alto saxophone:
Joe studied saxophone with Jim Kaspyrzk of the Chicago Saxophone Quartet and flute with Kay Clements of the Chicago Lyric Opera. He’s been in too many bands to name, but here’s a few anyway: Salaam, Alma Azul, Unstable Ensemble, Offramp and Kwyjibo.

With very little warning, and even less rehearsal, Joe showed up at Farm Fresh, nailed his parts, and stayed until the session was over and the beer was gone. Admirable.