Forming in the spring of 2010, Arkansas outfit Sad Daddy has traveled down many a road--together and separately--at times focusing on their solo projects and then reuniting for a band project. The four members, Brian Martin, Joe Sundell, Rebecca Patek, and Melissa Carper, all conspired and united in the sudden spare time of 2020 to create their third album, Way Up in the Hills. Convening at Brian’s cabin in Greers Ferry, Arkansas to write and record the album together, the collective decided on a down-home, back-to-the-country theme--a reflection on the state of the world and the desire to go back to simpler ways and self-sufficiency, goin’ way up in the hills and letting the chaos settle. Recording engineer Jordan Trotter brought his equipment into the cabin and the band recorded the 14 original tunes live and in a circle. Half of the tracks were only a week old and the other half had grown to be Sad Daddy standards since the band's last album. The feeling of being at a lakeside "home" studio in the serene Arkansas woods was distilled into sound as Sad Daddy explored using porch stomps, hamboning, the sounds of insects buzzing and bacon sizzling to create a picking-onthe- porch vibe into the fun and refreshing creation of Way Up in the Hills.