All songs written by Anthony Rankin Wilson (ARW) except:
Tenderness One and Too, improvisations by Ed Crabtree on an ARW melody; Crow, written by ARW, additional lyrics, Brian MacMillan (BMac); Motherless Child - traditional, written by Harry Burleigh, additional lyrics and music, ARW; North Saskatchewan River Song, additional lyrics - traditional Anishinaabe Water Honouring Song Arranged, recorded, produced, and mixed by BMac; additional recording by Ed Crabtree, Scott Galloway, Oliver Johnson, Tasheena Sarazin; Mastered by Andrew Seok.

Tenderness One: piano - Ed Crabtree; electric guitar, keyboards, bass, banjo - BMac

Mystery’s Desire: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboards, percussion, drums - BMac; standup bass - Bret Higgins; strings - Drew Jurecka; background vocals - Layah Jane, Sasha Singer-Wilson.

Heart’s Dead End: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; keyboards, electric guitars, bass, background vocals - BMac; Drums - Dave Tolley; background vocals - Dala (Sheila Carabine, Amanda Walther).

Crow: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; vocals, electric guitars, bass, drums - BMac; electric guitar - Oliver Johnson; background vocals - Layah Jane.

Dear Columbine: vocals - ARW; acoustic guitar, mandolin, keyboards, background vocals - BMac; bass - Bret Higgins; Columbine Choir - Layah Jane, Sasha Singer- Wilson, Oliver Johnson, BMac.

Joyeux Noel Jolie: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; electric guitars, glockenspiel, bass, percussion, background vocals - BMac.

Ancient Faith: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; keyboards; acoustic, slide, bass, and electric guitars; percussion, background vocals - BMac; background vocals - Sasha Singer-Wilson, Nadeem Umar Khitab ; pit pats - Lola Umar Khitab.

Black River Boy: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; acoustic guitars, banjo, background vocals - BMac; upright bass - Bret Higgins; mandolin - Joel Schwartz; violin - Sarah Shugarman; background vocals - Layah Jane, Oliver Johnson, Kim and Jerry Brodey.

Motherless Child: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; acoustic, electric guitars; vocals - BMac; bass - Bret Higgins; drums - Dave Tolley; vocals and background vocal - Damhnait Doyle; background vocals - Ambre Mclean, Sheila Carabine.

When You Wake: acoustic guitar, vocals - BMac; organ, keys - Scott Galloway; vocals - Sheila Carabine.

Apocalypkiss: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; acoustic, lapsteel guitars; synth, background vocals - BMac.

Song for John Rankin: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; acoustic, lapsteel guitars; keyboards - BMac; Bret Higgins - standup bass; cello - Felix Deak.

North Saskatchewan River Song: vocals, 12 string guitar - ARW; acoustic guitar, mandolin, Taos drum - BMac; stand up bass - Bret Higgins; violin - Sarah Shugarman; Dave Tolley - drums; vocals - Tasheena Sarazin.

Tenderness Too: piano - Ed Crabtree; bass, synth, vocals - Bri Mac.

Alberta Road: vocals, acoustic guitar - ARW; acoustic, lapsteel guitars; piano, keyboards, background vocals - BMac; stand up bass - Bret Higgins; drums - Dave Tolley; background vocals - Dala (Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine).

Brian MacMillan and I began to conjure the Mystery’s Desire project in June, 2019, and Andrew Seok mastered the songs in October, 2023. Four years. And that included a pandemic! And here they are, fired in the ovens of patience, commitment, and the love of creating together.

Thank you, Bri, beyond measure, for your producing, engineering, arranging, multi-instrument dexterity, and soulful vocals. I gave you the song-clay. You shaped and fired them up!

And big thanks to you, Andrew, for your impeccable mastering ear.

And thank you to all the other musicians who lent their craft to the songs: Ed Crabtree; Felix Deak; Scott Galloway; Bret Higgins; Oliver Johnson; Drew Jurecka; Joel Schwartz; Sarah Shugarman; Dave Tolley; Kim and Jerry Brodey; Sheila Carabine; Dala (Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther); Damhnait Doyle; Ambre McLean; Tasheena Sarazin; Nadeem Umar Khitab; Layah Jane; and Sasha Singer-Wilson.

A bow to Joe Maclean who painted the video of Mystery’s Desire into being. I’m so grateful for all the time and life-energy you devoted to this, Joe.

A particular gratitude to Tasheena Sarazin who entered the waters of The North Saskatchewan River, different waters than her own, from her studio in North Bay, and brought her wisdom, voice, and soul to the song. Thank you for our conversations. Thank you for your teachings. Thank you for your exquisite vocals, Tasheena. Chi-miigwech.

Amanda Walther welcomed the project into her creative heart-cauldron, and is responsible for my website, and all the communiques across the various mediums. What a pleasure of ease to work with you, Amanda.

And Jen Squires, your photography captured our graceful day together, and some moments deserving of the songs. Thank you.

And last, but not least, boundless love and gratitude to my wife, Sage, who stood behind me all the way, providing countless sessions of first listenings and encouragement through the discouragement. Her breath runs through the whole collection. I couldn’t have done this without you, sweetheart.

Voices of the Earth

brittwray.com
bullfrogpower.com
canadians.org
cleanairalliance.org
climatepsychology.us
climatepsychologyalliance.org
davidsuzuki.org
earthroots.org
ecojustice.co
policyalternatives.ca
raventrust.com
sacredearth.solar
secondharvest.ca
thewalrus.ca
dalagirls.com
dizzyandfay.com
kennedyroadmusic.com
layahjane.com
sashasingerwilson.com
jensquiresphotographer.com