Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat plays Lonesome Desert Rock, with an emphasis on melody and rich harmonies. Their fresh Americana sound is the perfect soundtrack for long drives down a lonely highway.
Finally… Heading back to Austin!
Medicine Hat is finally heading back to Austin, March 2022, with the band in tow. They’re currently booking dates at some of their favorite venues as well as some new ones. Stay tuned for show dates!
Nominated Best Folk Artist, Ventura County Music Awards!
Medicine Hat is honored to have been nominated Best Folk Artist for the Ventura County Music Awards! Please click on this link to vote. Vote For Medicine Hat, Best Folk Artist Thank you for the support.
Fences ~ In Orange Vinyl!
It's finally here and shipping! Fences ~ Is now available in limited edition Translucent Orange vinyl and can be purchased from the Website Store and at all live shows.
Medicine Hat returns to Joshua Tree with a monthly, summer residency at Joshua Tree Saloon
"Ventura's Medicine Hat is a "lonesome desert rock" duo with a surf-meets saloon vibe. Polly Parsons herself praised their latest album, 2019's Fences, as reminiscent of the music of her late father. Michelle and Robert have become a favorite both in Ventura County and at SXSW, and their hazy, wistful Americana with lush guitarwork and melodious harmonies will soon make them a fixture on the Joshua Tree scene." ~ Joshua Tree Saloon
Catch them the last Wednesday of the month, throughout this summer, July 28!
Fences, the official video premiere.
The Video for Fences is finally done and will be released on YouTube, July 26th!
Behind the Song Pt. 8 ~ The Photos
Socially Distant Storytellers Bonus Post!
Shooting the cover was a blast! We often play a cool little spot called The Place in Ventucopa. We knew we wanted to shoot up that way when we decided on ‘Fences ‘ as the working title of the album. The scenery is gorgeous, it all had the right vibe we were striving for and to top it off, we got to have a delicious burger and a slice of Vicky’s homemade pie for lunch! Thanks for reading along. We hope you enjoy listening to Fences, as much as we did Writing and Recording it!
Behind The Song Pt. 7 ~ Lay It Down
Welcome to the seventh post of our Socially Distant Storytellers Series! We recorded the entire record with Earle Mankey at his Psychedelic Shack in T.O. It was an honor and privilege to get to work with him once again! The recording was mastered by Guy Martin at Black Couch Studios, who is always a pro! The seventh and final cut off the record is Lay It Down. Take a listen and enjoy the story! We’d love to hear your feedback and answer any questions you have in the comments! Stay safe friends and enjoy your Saturday evening!
Quotes and Reviews:
Medicine Hats new release invokes the wide open space of the American West with the high lonesome harmonies of Graham Parson’s and Emmy Lou Harris while still retaining their own distinct sound. ~ Annette Zilinskas, Blood on the Saddle, The Bangles
Lay it Down
Pink telephone pay thing
By the Motor Lodge the Inn
There’s a room there without a view
Crystalline sin
Lay it down
Lay it down
On the table on the bed
Lay it down
Lay it down
On the floor like she said
Red walls, she sings
Let’s out the lonely creeping in
The perfect room without a view
Seeking comfort can’t win
It’s a way out place to be
A place you can’t stay
Serious price for tomorrow
Not forever, just for today
Lay it down
Lay it down
On the table on the bed
Lay it down
Lay it down
On the floor like she said
Behind the Music:
This is another track off the album that we’ve been playing for quite some time and just hadn’t recorded yet. An imagined scenario of what may go down at a local, Ventura motel named the Crystal Lodge. There is a painted pink telephone booth in the parking lot that stands out as you don’t see too many pay phones (especially pink ones) around these days! Really fun to write! We wanted to give it a Spaghetti Western sort of feel, with lots of reverb a la James Wilsey style and of course our signature harmonies! It was fun adding the clave to this one for the finishing touch!
Geek Tech Notes:
All guitars capo’d 1st Fret
Epiphone EJ200 / Rhythm
Fender Telecaster Thinline > MXR Carbon Copy > Strymon Flynt Reverb > 1956 Fender Vibrolux
Guitars, Robert Ramirez
Bass, Cary Von Gott
Tambourine and Clave, Michelle Votrian
Behind The Song Pt. 6 ~ Song For A Friend
Welcome to the sixth post of our Socially Distant Storytellers Series! We recorded the entire record with Earle Mankey at his Psychedelic Shack in T.O. It was an honor and privilege to get to work with him once again! The recording was mastered by Guy Martin at Black Couch Studios, who is always a pro! The sixth track off the record is Song For A Friend. Take a listen and enjoy the story! We’d love to hear your feedback and answer any questions you have in the comments! Stay safe friends and enjoy your Friday evening!
Quotes and Reviews:
“New tracks are just on repeat for me over and over! ‘Song for a Friend’ so earthy and melodic....I really look forward to seeing this music live for sure.” ~Polly Parsons, Daughter of Gram Parsons
Song For A Friend
I’ll be around
If you wanna hang out
I’ll be around
If you’re down and out
I’ve done a lot
So many things
Things that I forgot
At least that’s how it seems
I’ll be around
If you wanna hang out
I’ll be around
If you’re down and out
I sang this song
Had nothin better to do
So I move along
I still think about you
When the sun goes down
Who’s on your side
When the swell rolls in
When the tide gets high
I’ll be around
If you wanna hang out
I’ll be around
If you’re down and out
I’ll be around
I’ll be around
I’ll be around
I’ll be around
Behind the Music:
This is a brand new song and was the last one recorded for the session. The basic riff came about as we were rehearsing with the band one night. It sounded really cool and Robert just free-styled some lyrics to help it along. I grabbed my phone to record it so we wouldn’t forget it, as happens so often with a jam session. We knew this one was really good! The verses further developed when Robert was on a week long backpacking trip in the Sierras last summer. They were inspired by the loss of our friend, Neal Casal, and when he returned, we ironed out the verses, wrote the chorus, bridge and spent a few sessions working out ideas for the solos. I had been practicing vocals on the piano when Robert came in and loved the sound of the keys. Two days later we took it to Earle’s! We hadn’t even performed it live yet, but we knew we had to be include it on this record! Especially poignant during this time when we all need to be there for one another!
Geek Tech Notes:
Epiphone EJ200 / Rhythm
Fender Telecaster Thinline > 1953 Tweed Fender Deluxe / Rhythm
Fender Telecaster Thinline > 1965 Fender Blackface Reverb Deluxe > J. Rocket Designs Archer Overdrive > Keeley Kantana Clean Boost > Keeley MS30 Double Tracker > Strymon Flynt Reverb / Lead
Guitars, Robert Ramirez
Bass, Cary Von Gott
Piano and Tambourine, Michelle Votrian
Behind The Song Pt. 5 ~ Changes In The Weather
Welcome to the fifth post of our Socially Distant Storytellers Series! We recorded the entire record with Earle Mankey at his Psychedelic Shack in T.O. It was an honor and privilege to get to work with him once again! The recording was mastered by Guy Martin at Black Couch Studios, who is always a pro! The fifth track off the record is Changes in the Weather. Take a listen and enjoy the story! We’d love to hear your feedback and answer any questions you have in the comments! Stay safe friends and enjoy your Thursday evening!
Quote and Reviews:
“The Newest musical endeavor from the Ventura duo Medicine Hat has just enough twang, fiddle and great finger picking to qualify as a bonafide Americana album. Robert and Michelle have found their groove with this new record. A favorite is ‘Changes in the Weather’ with vocals that harken back to 60’s Laurel Canyon.” ~Polly Hoganson, Ones To Watch Presents
CHANGES IN THE WEATHER
Got some things I wanna say to you
There’s some things that I wanted to do
I can’t help myself
I keep falling down
Got some things I wanna say to you
There’s some things I’ve been going through
How can I run to you
Without my feet on the ground
How can I run to you
Without my feet on the ground
It’s been a long, long time
Been a long, long time
It’s been a long, long time
There’s been changes in the weather
Change is in the weather
Yeah, there’s been changes in the weather
Got some things I wanna say to you
There’s some things that I wanted to do
I can’t help myself
I keep falling down
Got some things I wanna say to you
There’s some things I’ve been going through
Behind the music:
We wrote this song about 3 or so years ago out at the beach (like so many others). We were camping and Robert jumped up like he was on fire and ran to the trailer for his guitar. “I had to strum it before it left my head” he said. He came out playing the beginning of the song. It was one that came quick and the ideas flowed naturally. When we needed a second part I remembered something I’d jumped out of the shower to record before I forgot it, sometime before and had never finished, but loved. The two seemed to fit together beautifully! Two sparks that made a fire! We’ve been playing it out as a duo and a full band for quite awhile now. So it continues to develop both as an acoustic/singer songwriter and electric/full band song. Super fun both ways and one of my all time favorites for sure!
Guitar Geek Tech Notes:
All guitars capo’d 1st Fret
Epiphone EJ200 / Rhythm
Fender Telecaster Thinline 69 reissue > 1956 Fender Vibrolux / Rhythm and Lead
Fender Telecaster Thinline 69 reissue > LovePedal Karl Fuzz > 1956 Fender Vibrolux / addition Lead
Guitars, Robert Ramirez
Violin, Hekar Rivera
Bass, Cary Von Gott
Medicine Hat returns to what promises to be one of Ventura's coolest live music night spots. There's a cool bar, lots of seating, good food and tasty drinks.
Come out and Join Medicine Hat for their newest single and video release celebration. They'll be joined by their friends, TruckerBomb.. always a good time!