Ward Richmond’s passion for his neighborhood is apparent as soon as you hear his new honky-tonk album, aptly called “The Warden: East Dallas.”
Richmond, whom you might recognize from the band Boys Named Sue, wrote all the music in “The Warden,” which is a somewhat autobiographical look at Richmond’s life growing up in Lakewood, although he says he took plenty of “creative liberties.”
“My daughter was born last May, and for some reason that kind of got my creative juices flowing,” Richmond says. “As you watch your little girl come into the world and start to live life, you start to think about your own experiences and all of that. Mostly it’s the story of a kid going on the road, having some crazy times, learning from mistakes and settling down.”
To produce it he enlisted the help of several other local musicians — John Pedigo from The O’s, Chad Stockslager from The King Bucks, Dan Phillips from True Widow and vocalist Madison King to name a few — all of whom can appreciate Richmond’s not-so-subtle nod to our neighborhood.
“We all live here and hang out here,” he explains. “We’re all in the local music scene and have been for a long time.”
East Dallas tattoo artist Oliver Peck, who has been friends with Richmond for upward of 20 years — “He gave me my first tattoo when I was 21 years old,” Richmond says — designed the album cover.
There’s also a song in the line-up called “Living in the EDT,” which stands for “East Dallas Texas.” In it you’ll hear shout outs to local businesses, venues and landmarks such as Deep Ellum, Trees, The Green Room and others.
“Living in the EDT, I can plainly see, it’s my home and I’ll never be alone ‘cause I’ve got you here with me,” he sings.
It’s a love you’ve got to hear to believe.
To listen, visit facebook.com/theeastdallaswarden.
