Today, I am going public with a project that’s been 30 years in the making.
All Hang Separately is a new narrative song cycle that will be released in 2027. It’s based on the book Mad as Hell by Willis Rowell and tells the story of his involvement in the National Farmers Organization and its often-controversial efforts to save the family farm.
The song cycle explores whether a group of proudly independent men will sacrifice some of their cherished independence to save it—and the lengths to which they will go.
I’ve written the narrative for the song cycle and its lyrics, and I am excited to be collaborating with the Weary Ramblers on the music. The Weary Ramblers are an Americana duo of Chad Elliott and Kathryn Severing Fox. They are lovely people and amazing talents, and I am humbled to be working with them.
This three-decade journey started in my marketing agency career and gave me chance to meet the committed and cantankerous Willis Rowell. It featured a long pause and then post-retirement work to make good on a commitment. More recently, it’s included the good fortune to connect with Willis’ daughter, Debra, and to meet several members of the family of Oren Lee Staley, the inspirational leader of the NFO movement. (For more detail on the project chronology, please see separate project update.)
During this project, I’ve been grateful to have the support and encouragement of friends and family—and from the community that is the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat.
There’s still lots of work to be done, but this thing is going to happen. Better late than never, I suppose.
Doug