Several years and several records later, over a dozen band members have passed through the Summer Hymns musical turnstiles, with Zachary and drummer Philip Brown the only constants. Since early 2004, the band, trimmed to a trio with bassist Chris Riser, has been working on new material for a new record.
A good deal of material was recorded in 2004 at Radium Recording and at the Downtown Athens Recording Company. In 2005, the band spent time recording with producer/engineer David McConnell (Elliott Smith, Folk Implosion, and others) in Athens and at Chris's Illuminati Audio studio in Lexington, Georgia.
The new record, Backward Masks, is scheduled for a fall 2006 release on Misra Records.
Non-album tracks from the Backward Masks sessions are included on three new compilation CDs. The improvisational "Stick and Leaf" appears on Appetizers and Leftovers, released by Austin's I Eat Records. Live favorite "What Kind of Bird" is included on the 2006 AthFest 10th Anniversary compilation CD. A live acoustic version of "Bombay Brown Indian Ink" is on the recently-released WUOG Live in the Lobby CD compilation of live radio performances.
With a wealth of material written and recorded, there are tentative plans for a handful of additional releases in the near future, including a one-sided vinyl LP, with an etching on the reverse, on Burnt Toast Vinyl, the second in the band's "Value Series" of EPs, and a live EP of acoustic material.
Look for new songs on the band's MySpace player throughout the year.