St. Louis multi-instrumentalist and composer Mikey Wehling was camping in the Mark Twain National Forest in southeast Missouri with his music companion and dog, Scout, when he took out his dobro and wrote the first song for his forthcoming album.
“The pastoral setting led to instant inspiration,” Wehling told St. Louis on the Air.
The three-track album, Camp Scout Vol. 2, is set to release on June 29. It features two songs that Wehling recorded in a studio overlooking the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, and another at his family farm in Beaufort, Missouri. These adventures, he said, alongside the sounds of summer, are reflected in the track.
On one of the album’s songs, “Oneonta Gorge,” Wehling drew inspiration from the hiking destination of the same name in the Columbia River Gorge area near Portland, Oregon. Wehling and Scout hiked that trail together.
“It really, to me, captures the idea of the summer, still being in these dark places with tall trees and deep canyons and stuff, even though it is summer and bright out. There's still this wonderful kind of mysteriousness to it,” he said.
Wehling said he wants his instrumental album to bring listeners to his wandering adventures but also to guide them through their own.
“I would hope that you would listen to it and use it as a soundtrack for your own adventure,” Wehling said. “You know, if you're out and about this summer heading to the shut-ins or going to the river or something, put it on.”
Related Event
What: Mikey Wehling plays Camp Scout Vol. 2
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 18
Where: The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63143
For the full conversation with Mikey Wehling and to learn more about his music writing and adventures with his dog, listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
