The Lonesome Prairie Dogs

The Lonesome Prairie Dogs were founded by Heidi Lieb (Sit n’ Spin) and Steve Strunsky (Johnny is Real) when Lieb was eager to start a new project playing upright bass after years fronting Sit n’ Spin on vocals and guitar. She saw Strunsky play a solo acoustic gig opening for a mutual friend’s band, and the pair tailored the repertoire to their new instrumentation.  They added drums, and gelled as a hard-twanging garage country outfit with the addition of lead guitarist Mike Dvorkin (Trailer Radio). The LPDs were later augmented by Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith, Nuggets, Lightning Strikes) on pedal steel guitar, and often feature trumpeter Jordan McLean (Antibalas) and The Lonesome Horns.

The LPDs became fixtures of the NYC and Brooklyn country music scenes, and in 2005 founded the annual New Year’s Hank-O-Rama, a tribute to Hank Williams, that’s been held every year since. Their influences include Hank Williams Sr. & III, Elvis and most other historic Sun Records recording artists. Chuck Berry, Wanda Jackson, The Ruttles, The Stones, Dick Dale, Ennio Morricone, Rig Rock Jukebox, and multitudes of others round out the expansive palette of the Lonesome Prairie Dogs’ sound.

Eventually, the LPDs were coaxed by McLean to enter Dunham Sound Studios, the famed Brooklyn recording studio owned by Tommy Brenneck (Menahan Street Band, Charles Bradley, Budos Band), who then engineered the instrumental tracks for All This Time and Lonesome Nile featuring McLean and Dala Records founder Billy Aukstik (Charles Bradley, Antibalas) on trumpet. Aukstik then later engineered the vocal tracks for All This Time at Dala’s Brooklyn studio, Hive Mind Recording, and the singles were readied for release.