The Cougar Creek Sessions
The Cougar Creek Sessions is our latest CD — 12 years in the making! Branching out from our Celtic music roots, in this CD we explore new directions. The result is an eclectic mix of musical styles reflecting our diverse interests and influences. What hasn't changed is our emphasis on strong vocal harmonies, great melodic hooks, and an irresistible beat.
Have a listen to the demos, below. Click here to buy.
The challenges of maintaining a relationship based on initial promises - Bruce.
1. Falling Angels
Words and music: B. McGee
R. Holt: harmony vocals, piano, bass
B. McGee: lead vocal, guitars
R. Schneider: harmony vocals
G. Jones: harmony vocals
In my office I have a cork board filled with pictures from my life that have accumulated over the years. The mental images of these pictures eventually coalesced into a song - Rob.
2. Wild Dreams
Music: R. Holt; Words: R. Holt and B. Holt
R. Holt: lead vocal, piano, bass
B. McGee: harmony vocals, guitars
R. Schneider: harmony vocals
M. Chinni: harmony vocals
Robbie Burns beautifully captures the essence of a cold and bleak winter day in one of his poems; here I've set it to music - Rick.
3. Winter Come Early (video)
Words: Robbie Burns;
Music: R. Schneider
R. Holt: harmony vocals
B. McGee: harmony vocals
R. Schneider: lead vocal, guitar, bass,
mandolin, accordion
We all have our own values, and things that are important to us. But they might not mean anything to others in our life. The result can be that our priorities are sometimes pushed into the shadows - Bruce.
4. Shadow of a Man
Words and music: B. McGee
R. Holt: bass, piano
B. McGee: lead vocal, guitar
R. Schneider: electric guitar
Your significant other is out there somewhere, but where? You might pass on the street every day without realizing what the future has in store - Rick.
5. Still Searching
Words and music: R. Schneider
R. Holt: bass
R. Schneider: lead vocal, guitar, mandolin, accordion
M. Chinni: harmony vocals
This song was inspired by a piano-playing busker I saw playing at the Edmonton Fringe. He was a bit rough around the edges, and so was his old piano, but man, he could blow your socks off when he closed his eyes and began to play - Rick.
6. A Dollar for the Piano Man (video)
Words and music: R. Schneider
R. Falkenstern: harmony vocals
R. Holt: harmony vocals
R. Schneider: lead vocal, piano, bass, guitar
I spend a lot of time travelling. As the hours pass by I sometimes find myself reflecting on my life and experiences - Rob.
7. Rebound
Words and music: R. Holt
R. Holt: lead vocal, piano, bass, organ
R. Schneider: harmony vocals, mandolin
M. Chinni : harmony vocals
I read an article about a bag lady in New York and was struck by how someone so poor could be living in a city of such wealth. I also wondered if she felt free, in a way, because she was not linked to material standards like everyone else - Bruce.
8. Insane Mary
Words and music: B. McGee
R. Holt: harmony vocals, piano, bass
B. McGee: lead vocal, guitars
R. Schneider: harmony vocals
My grandmother grew up under Stalin and lived through a depression and a world war. She knew more than a little about what things are really important in life, and thankfully, she was not shy about sharing them with me - Rick.
9. Next to Me
Words and music: R. Schneider
R. Falkenstern: harmony vocals
R. Holt: harmony vocals, bass
R. Schneider: lead vocal, guitar, accordion, piano
I wrote this when my first daughter was still safe within her mother's belly. A frenetic anthem for soccer moms (and dads) everywhere - Rick.
10. Little One
Words and music: R. Schneider
R. Falkenstern: harmony vocals
R. Holt: harmony vocals, bass
B. McGee: harmony vocals
R. Schneider: lead vocal, guitars, piano
I wrote the song shortly after the death of my father, when I was 17. Not as a tribute, but more as an abstract statement of his impact on me as a maturing adult - Bruce.
11. Smoke from the Fire of the Grave
Words and music: B. McGee
R. Holt: harmony vocals, bass
B. McGee: lead vocal, guitars
R. Schneider: harmony vocals
This song was inspired by a book called The Last Buffalo Hunter, which recounts the life of one of the last Métis hunters on the Canadian Plains. I found it ironic how a man who's life was so totally dependent on the buffalo could be so blind to his role in their demise. Have we learned? Rick.
12. The Last Buffalo Hunter (video)
Words and music: R. Schneider
R. Falkenstern: harmony vocals
R. Holt: harmony vocals, bass
B. McGee: harmony vocals
R. Schneider: lead vocal, guitar, mandolin, accordion
Simple fantasies have a way of becoming very complicated - Bruce.
13. Simple Fantasies
Words and music: B. McGee
R. Holt: bridge vocal, bass, piano
B. McGee: lead vocal, guitars
R. Schneider: harmony vocals