Im like, Oh, what a beautiful name.
It couldnt be [truer] to what we were doing.
We never intended for it to be this long, Krauss says of the bands absence.
Alison Krauss regrouped Union Station, with some changes, for their first new album in 14 years.Randee St. Nicholas*
Krauss let the idea of arcadia shape the album process, especially the nature component of the word.
The sentimental images still conjure such vivid memories in the hearts of many.
You circle back from time to time.
When you tour, everybody books six months to nine months in advance, you know?
And then, there were four other people.
There are schedules besides my own to make it happen.
I guess I first wrote everybody, Hey, I got these songs.
I think it was the beginning of 2021.
It just took so long to make it happen, to find a time when everybody could be together.
But, in between, everybodys made records.
I made a couple [of] records.
It shouldnt have taken so long.
A lot has changed in bluegrass, country, and Americana music in the last 14 years.
Union Station were trailblazers that really opened up a lot of doors in those worlds.
Hes a trailblazer at the same time.
I love what those two people are doing for acoustic music that we all love so much.
And everybody in the band has always had such a unique, individual sound to them.
Theres never been a lot of contriving with arrangements or forcing something because it seemed clever.
We wanted it to always be a very natural production.
Thats always been the attitude for us.
I never thought Id end up doing this for a living, anyway.
So, its all been a surprise.
I feel that way.
Im enamored with it.
When youre recording, youre going along and you have to really evaluate yourself.
It takes a while to get that.
I have no pride, whatever it takes to get it there.
I do love the process, cause those tiny things just can change the atmosphere sometimes.
And even if youre sailing along and its going, every now and then you might hit excellent.
If you didnt go through that process, you wouldnt have hit that excellent point.
You cant shortcut it.No, I dont think it’s possible for you to shortcut.
Thats an easy, beautiful process.
Its magical in there with the headphones on.
Its just such a natural thing.
And maybe theyd feel differently, but I dont.
I dont see it that way as any kind of labor, they play so beautifully.
Now me, thats another story.
Arcadiahas a heaviness to the songs.My son asked me, How do you sing all these sad songs?
I always feel like its a survivors story.
So, he had a lot of things hed been doing.
And when we got back together, he was very proud of what he was doing.
When we look back through that process, it doesnt seem that shocking he wanted to stay with that.
He felt like he couldnt balance both of them.
And I knew he was stressed about that when we started to record.
I knew he was worried about that.
And in bluegrass during that generation, both Dan and Russell are at the same time.
I first saw Russell when I was 14 and he was 21.
I didnt talk to him, but I saw him sing onstage.
And theres pictures of me with my mouth open watching him.
He had just joined Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.
Russell came in there and just took over.
And when this came up with Dan, we all got on the phone together.
[Dobroist] Jerry [Douglas] said to me, What do you think?
And I said, Russell Moore.
They all went, Oh, yes.
