The Hounds Of Winter

The Hounds of Winter is a gorgeous song by Sting.  Sting’s own arrangement is lush with a full band but Alice Di Micele and her trio (guitarist Andy Casad and bassist Rob Kohler) serve up this acoustic stripped down version to highlight the beautiful melody, lyrics, and chord structure of the piece. “This was the only song I could listen to for several months when my dog Blue passed away in 2005,” says Alice. “Andy’s guitar arrangement is so lovely and Rob’s upright bass growls and howls hauntingly. I’m really thrilled with our version. It’s healing to sing as it has such deep meaning for me – the last several years I have experienced the loss of many close loved ones including my dog Roxy and my cat Grace in 2020.”

Alice Di Micele has been releasing a series of singles including classics by Kate Wolf, Tom Petty, Neil Young, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, and Rev. Gary Davis. She has released 16 albums of original songs on her own label to rave reviews and has built a strong grass-roots fanbase through touring. This cover series is a way to pay homage to some of her inspirations.  Di Micele says, “Being a singer-songwriter is wonderful and meaningful. I love to write but sometimes I have to remind myself that being a singer came first. Putting my passion into songs that I love is enriching for me and I hope it is meaningful for the listener as well.”

The acoustic guitar was recorded by Andy Casad. The vocals and bass were recorded by Alice Di Micele and the song was mixed by Alice at her Southern Oregon studio Tiny Wonderland. It was mastered by Adam Matza at Magic Ears Mastering in Asheville, NC.