Leslie Krafka
Houston - Texas - United States
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Band Details
About the Band
I’m a singer/songwriter from Houston with an addiction to the twang of the pedal steel, and a soft spot for writing about men of dubious character and the women who need them. The songs on my second record on•ward, were all born from life's experience, from ordinary and mundane to profound and apocalyptic. Like any artist I believe in my creations, and I want the music can endure the test of time. With the help of my producers Lloyd Maines and Terri Hendrix, who know how to build a record, I think the songs on on•ward have a shot.
The album consists of 11 songs, of which 10 are original and one is a cover. Why a cover you ask? Well, for me, the decision to cover Ray Wylie Hubbard and Hayes Carll’s Drunken Poet’s Dream was born from envy. I thought it was unfair a song that cool could be sung only by a man. So, I decided to give it a gender bender and make it my own. Of the 10 songs that I penned, several are what folks consider relationship songs….mostly about bad relationships. Some are slow and bittersweet like "South Texas Fall and others like "Whiskey High" have some ass-kicking Lloyd Maines pedal steel to back up their point. The closest thing I wrote to a love song is “Stay With Me”, and it’s on the needy side. There's also a couple songs born from momentary flashes of enlightenment, those are “Beauty” and “Jewel”.
During a so-called moment of enlightenment, I realized I had been calling myself a folk singer, yet lacked any true folk songs in my catalog. I immediately tapped into that wealth of information (accurate or not) known as the internet. It wasn’t long before I was reading firsthand accounts of African American’s during the decades of The Great Migration. I began to sense the spirit of a man telling me his story. A story of suffering and hardship, but most importantly of hope. The hope of Manifest Destiny, and the phrase “Go west, young man” which was embraced by old and young, black and white, man and woman. And so, I saved my song “Freedom Train” for the final cut, to leave the listener with a message of hope.
And I will leave you with tidings of hope….hope that you will enjoy what you hear.
onward---Leslie Krafka
Discography
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On.ward
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Track # | Song Title | Style | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Magdalena | Folk | Folk |
2 | Beauty | Americana Country | Country |
3 | Drunken Poet's Dream | Folk | Folk |
4 | Wine Women and Song | Folk | Folk |
5 | Stay with Me | Americana Country | Country |
6 | Whiskey High | Americana Country | Country |
7 | I Want Love | Americana Country | Country |
8 | South Texas Fall | Americana Country | Country |
9 | Jewel | Folk | Folk |
10 | The Pain of Losing You | Americana Country | Country |
11 | Freedom Train | Folk | Folk |
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The White Cat Sessioins
Details
Label: Self
Songs on the Album
Track # | Song Title | Style | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Black Cadillac | Americana Country | Country |
2 | Mary | Americana Country | Country |
3 | Does Your Heart Long for Me | Americana Country | Country |
4 | All the Luck | Americana Country | Country |
5 | Wandering Troubadour | Americana Country | Country |
6 | A Little White Lie | Americana Country | Country |
7 | The Best for Me | Americana Country | Country |
8 | Were We Ever Together | Americana Country | Country |
9 | Our Defining Time | Americana Country | Country |
10 | You'll Never See Me Cry | Americana Country | Country |
11 | Be Your Comfort | Americana Country | Country |
12 | I Don't Cry Anymore | Americana Country | Country |
13 | I Miss Your Company | Americana Country | Country |