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Rumors & Legends

by Laura K. Balke

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Rumors & Legends on translucent gold vinyl. Includes a 16 page booklet featuring artwork that corresponds to each song. Each drawing uses the lyrics from the song to create an image that is illustrative to their content.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Rumors & Legends via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $15 USD

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Rumors & Legends on CD, inside a hand-stamped digipak. Includes a 28 page booklet featuring drawings that correspond to each song. Each drawing uses the lyrics of the song to create an image that is illustrative to their content.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Rumors & Legends via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $10 USD

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $8 USD  or more

     

1.
Achilles 03:24
When Mama dipped me in the river I bet she didn’t think of you I’ve been so careful to keep My heel safely in my shoes To the sweetest boys I’ve been the first to say goodbye And the cruelest man I ever met, he could not make me cry But when Mama dipped me in the river I bet she didn’t think that I would find you But what a weakness, What a wonderful weakness I have found Take me home and keep my head Spinnin’ all around, around, around When Daddy built me a fortress I bet he didn’t think of you The world, they meet a stone wall But there is one who walks right on through I will take on an army with my own two hands Then you take me down with a single glance When Daddy built me a fortress I bet he didn’t think that you would find me But what a weakness, What a wonderful weakness I have now Take me home and keep my head Spinnin’ all around, around, around When Mama dipped me in the river I bet she didn’t think of you
2.
Turn The Key 03:50
I saw you outside of my window I let you in though I didn’t plan to stay I loved you the best that I knew how We consumed the amber waves of grain Feel your heart beat in my chest Imagine the air of a higher altitude I let you in when I wanted out The chains are only as heavy as what we are tied to I was a songbird in ink on your arm You were a redbird caged in my parlor I turned the key, I let you loose Into a cold, harsh winter that was the truth I saw you outside of my window Just like you had intended The glass filtered everything out But painful images If I had other voices I would call you out into the streets If I had wings like an angel I’d have guarded you from me But I’m just a songbird in ink on your arm And you are a redbird that my hands can only harm I turned the key, I let you loose Into the last song that I can sing to you
3.
Two Ships (free) 02:34
We were two ships passing in the night Too unexpecting to put up a fight I thought that I could mold my life And make whatever I wanted to But how could I, how could I Have imagined you And if you told me right now That we should go our separate ways I’d feel just as lucky for The minutes, the hours the days We are a palindrome We are waters yet unknown I would have spent a lifetime Just looking for you So how did I, how did I Find you so soon My Mother says life isn’t fair And for once that’s working out in my favor ‘Cause we’ve left the world behind out there And I have taken the best of it with me I have taken the best of it with me
4.
Maybe I Was Wrong (free) 02:41
All the beautiful people in this world They only make me want you more What’s going on? You’re across the country And all of the eligible bachelors in this room Only make me want to be attractive to you Maybe I was wrong when I said That “Love is just a mad rush of chemicals to the brain That catches me at the right time, something easily explained” Had I forgotten that I could feel this way? We don’t know what kind of affect we’ll have On each other And for once I don’t care to meet The girl at the end of this road But if I looked into your future And I saw that I was no good for you Baby I would go Maybe I was wrong, when said That “love is not for others, a decision to be made It is only given with the intention to take” Had I forgotten that it could be this way? Maybe I was wrong, maybe I was wrong Maybe I was wrong, maybe I was wrong
5.
Not For This 02:21
I can see the cortisone injections in my fingers now I can hear the cough I’m coughing as I lay me down I can feel the back I’m breaking finally giving out I never said I wanted to put a good body in the ground I want my hands to be ruined by the matters of my heart And I want my love to be used by someone For whom I can thank my lucky stars I want my legs to be broken under that which can be carried Far, far, farther than I Farther than I.. Can see the cortisone injections in my fingers now I can hear the cough I’m coughing as I lay me down I can feel the back I’m breaking finally giving out But not for this, not for this, not for this
6.
Sometimes (free) 01:28
Sometimes everything works out all by itself Sometimes accidents are good for your health I went out that night ‘cause I was obliged Who knew head on collision could foster life Murphy’s Law couldn’t stand up to you and I Sometimes everything that could go wrong goes right
7.
Limberlost 03:41
8.
I Can't 03:23
You’re asking again if I’ll let you stay ‘Cause you’d rather it end any other way And you try to remind me of the battles we’ve won This is bigger than that, this is Armageddon I’ve loved with my body, I’ve loved with my soul I’ve loved with my mind but never the whole And I need to know, I need to know if that’s possible I try to explain but my words just pollute I told you I loved you, how can this be the truth But I’ve studied the structure we built with our time Brick upon brick it’s your and it’s mine And you are the ceiling, you are the floor You are the windows and the door But I can’t, I can’t live alone inside this house anymore
9.
You were taken from the hospital into the lion’s den Where they found you a baby boy while they were looking for a fugitive There was no custody battle ‘cause Mama didn’t show So you slept in a cradle in my bedroom five years ago You were so weak and they were so strong As you took the brunt of the things they did wrong But as weak as we are I won’t be gone long And you’re safe with me when I’m holding your hand Whatever you are, child I understand And now you’ve got a new Mama and a little sister The harder you try to get their attention the further you’re pushed out the picture Take the medicine down for your rotting baby teeth You are much too young to be asking “why do you love me?” You were so small and they were so big I couldn’t move a finger while I watched what they did But as small as we are I promise you this That you’re safe with me when I’m holding your hand And whatever you are, child I understand
10.
Put a bandage on the scrape Peroxide washes the germs away Tears and kisses on the face They help alleviate the pain It was easy to be resilient on the outside You just get back on that bike Harder with the things that can be kept in the dark I can open my hands but can I open my heart? You’ll find evidence if you map out the scars Of living soul and beating heart I used to know my enemies like I knew the pavement Hitting my knees It’s not sticks and stones, it’s words And it’s not broken bones It’s love that hurts Living is messy business if you’re doing it right I want to go to bed with my feet dirty tonight And loving is gonna hurt you but I think it’s worth the price Like grass stains on my jeans and a ruined bike
11.
Retreat 04:58
When you think more often than not That you should have stayed in When you can count the faces out there That you’d like to see on one hand That’s when I remember That there’s no place in this world I have to be And I can just go home to my handful of friends And retreat When you’ve got no one to prove yourself to But the devil on your shoulder When all this practice and perfection Is just getting you older That’s when I remember If I can write just one song I want to sing Then I can rest in peace When you’ve got nothing to reach for But gray skies up above And beneath your feet is only The sad excuse for a hill to prop you up That’s when I remember that I shouldn’t stop, not for anything And if I can just keep moving I will be happy

about

Rumors & Legends is Laura K Balke's third full-length album. It was recorded, mixed and produced by Jon Autry in non-traditional spaces across Indiana and in Brooklyn, usually during the quietest hours of the night. An art gallery, piano warehouse, and both Jon and Laura's apartments served as temporary studios. For this effort Laura enlisted the help of Zachary Jetter (Humans, Th'Empires) on percussion and Kurt Friedrich (Rodeo Ruby Love) on keys. The result is both organic and lush, and affords many avenues previously unexplored by the artist.

Each song has corresponding artwork that uses the lyrics to create an image that is illustrative to their content. These images are embedded in the digital files, and physical copies are encased in a 28 page hardbound book that features the drawings.

credits

released November 18, 2011

All songs written by Laura K Balke © 2011

Laura K Balke: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Zahary Walter: Drums/Percussion
Kurt Friedrich: Rheem Kee Bass, Nord, Rhodes, Piano, B3
Jon Autry: Bass guitar Electric Guitar, Moog Guitar, 12-string Acoustic, Casios and Yamahas,
Auxiliary Percussion, Electric Piano, Background Vocals
Michael Meyers: Cello
Matthew Beer: Banjo
Philip Balke: Piano Technician

Recorded at:
Mt. Comfort {a space for champions} - Indianapolis, IN
John Booker Residence - Indianapolis, IN
The Piano Shoppe - Ft. Wayne, IN
Broken Home -Brooklyn, NY

Produced, recorded and mixed by Jon Autry

Mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Services

Thanks: Jon, Zachary and Kurt for making this album possible, Mumsy, Dad and the Balke clan, Elizabeth Kjeldsen, Mallery Pierce and Erika Lewis for all of the help along the way, Static Salon, NM Kjeldsen, Frank Schweikhardt, Bro. Stephen, Rodeo Ruby Love, Matthew Beer, Jascha, John Davey, Mudlove Pottery, Rick Feltes, Les Sisomboune and Carl, DeeDee, Jessica, Josh and Booe for putting up with our living room sessions, and to all of my listeners. You make my dreams come true.

Special thanks to Casey Roberts at Mt Comfort and John and Larry at the Piano Shoppe for the use of their space for recording.

Artwork by Laura K Balke. Elizabeth Kjeldsen helped with file preparation.

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Laura K. Balke Indianapolis, Indiana

I love winners when they cry, losers when they try, music when it's good, and life

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