Thieves by Alex Dupree

Dupree got his musical start in Austin, Texas, and his voice still has some Heartworn Highways-era color to it. It’s a quality meant for the stories told on Thieves.

These are stories about the Trump years, a span which coincided with Dupree’s own attempt to rebuild a life after divorce. It was a time for the painful ending of illusions, about himself and about the country. He was living between artist residencies, sublets, and storage units along I-10, and long hours spent on the highway soon found a form in the long lines of traditional folk ballads. Slowly, new songs began to emerge.

Producer Michael Krassner’s experience arranging for film and his deep attention to songcraft set a perfect stage for Dupree’s lyrical storytelling. Old-Hollywood string crescendos and delicate acoustic phrases pass in and out of focus behind the vocals, a lush backdrop for the songs’ stark dialogue.

A wide array of traditional instruments (harmonica, mandolin, violin, piano, pedal steel, and jaw harp, to name a few) fill out these guitar songs. It’s these thoughtful arrangements paired with Dupree’s aptitude for songwriting that makes for such a special record.

Thieves is the story of starting over. It’s a sturdy songwriter’s album with heady, heavy folk and country flourishes. It’s about coming to terms with the uncanny patterns of your life, the strange repetitions you can’t escape.

Tracklist

1.	Toronto Reel	3:31

2.	The Seer	3:35

3.	Fake Diamonds, False Powers	5:14

4.	Wish You Had Got To Me First	4:00

5.	The Cave	5:36

6.	Missouri Moon	4:54

7.	I'm Gonna Make You Mine	3:50

8.	Low Country Blues	3:40

9.	Lawman	3:41

10.	Fortunado	4:42

Credits

released July 15, 2022

TORONTO REEL

Alex Dupree: acoustic guitar, vocals
Max Knouse: 12 string guitar, jaw harp
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Josh Hill: violin
Michael Krassner: electric guitar
Laraine Kaizer-Viazovstev: violins and string arrangement

THE SEER

Alex Dupree: acoustic guitar, vocals
Max Knouse: 12 string guitar
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Stephen Hodges: drums
Wally Boudway: percussion, slide guitar
Tim Rutili: additional vocals
Whitney Mower: additional vocals

FAKE DIAMONDS, FALSE POWERS

Alex Dupree: acoustic guitar, vocals
Max Knouse: electric guitar
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Stephen Hodges: drums
Michael Krassner: piano
Matt Matherne: mandolin
Laraine Kaizer-Viazovstev: violins and string arrangement
Wally Boudway: percussion
Whitney Mower: additional vocals

WISH YOU HAD GOT TO ME FIRST

Alex Dupree: requinto guitar, vocals, harmonica
Max Knouse: 12 string guitar
Wil Hendricks: bass
Laraine Kaizer-Viazovstev: violins and string arrangement

THE CAVE

Alex Dupree: electric guitar, vocals, wurlitzer
Max Knouse: electric guitar
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Stephen Hodges: drums
Michael Krassner: harmonica
Tim Rutili: additional vocals

MISSOURI MOON

Alex Dupree: piano, vocals, classical guitar
Tiffanie Lanmon: drums
Matthew Holmes: percussion
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Michael Krassner: guitar
Laraine Kaizer-Viazovstev: violins and string arrangement
Whitney Mower: additional vocals

I’M GONNA MAKE YOU MINE

Alex Dupree: acoustic guitar, vocals
Tiffanie Lanmon: drums
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Buck Meek: electric guitar
Bill McCullough: pedal steel

LOW COUNTRY BLUES

Alex Dupree: electric guitar, vocals
Max Knouse: electric guitar
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Stephen Hodges: drums
Michael Krassner: piano
Bill McCullough: pedal steel

LAWMAN

Alex Dupree: acoustic guitar, vocals
Max Knouse: guitar
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Stephen Hodges: drums
Josh Hill: violin
Tim Rutili: additional vocals

FORTUNADO

Alex Dupree: acoustic guitar, vocals
Max Knouse: guitar
Aaron Michael Stern: bass
Stephen Hodges: drums
Matt Matherne: mandolin
Wally Boudway: percussion
Aisha Burns: additional vocals
Josh Hill: violin

License