4:00 AM (Shiftone Records)

Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter Steve Wilkinson has been a fixture on the Portland and surrounding Northwest music scene in countless, well-received acts. He was a founding member and original drummer for Thrillbilly, fronted the guitar-rock act Gravelpit, and his last band, Mission 5, gathered several West Coast and European tours under their belts.

But, that's not why we are here. We're not here to talk about the past, but rather focus on the present - and future - of Steve Wilkinson and new his band Wilkinson Blades' debut album 4:00 AM (Shiftone Records), an eleven track collection of rootsy-pop, Stones-y rock, sunshine pop, and rainy-night melodies.

Wilkinson went into various studios, with a variety of friends, and made a record that was unlike his previous projects. There were no expectations, no pressures, and certainly no constraints put on the music. The only goal was to make a record he would be proud of, could play for his friends, and not have to compromise with members in a band setting.

"I was busy with Mission 5 at the time, making records, writing, and playing lots of live shows," comments Wilkinson, discussing why his debut solo record took longer than any of his previous records to make. "All of the bands I have ever played with had a sense of urgency as far as schedules go and getting records out on time and on a tiny budget. I wanted this record to be done on my time, without rushing and without worrying about deadlines. Needless to say that with a five-year project I more than accomplished my goal by about four years."

He further explains, " I certainly didn't want to take so long to make it. Between Mission 5, playing drums for Pale Blue Sky, and my day gig I just didn't have the time to work on this record often. So, things became delayed much more than I would have liked. I think I worked on about 3-4 sessions per year, so hopefully next time it won't be so drawn out."

However, what did go as planned is how Wilkinson wanted the record to play out in the studio.

"I was able to play a lot of the instruments I have wanted to play with different bands, the way that I wanted them to be played rather than explain to someone what I wanted to hear and never really hearing it," he says. "Most of the people I have played with over the years are far more accomplished musicians than I, but there is really no way for them to know exactly what I hear in my head. In addition, it was really fun playing the different instruments and figuring out the parts."

Despite playing a lot of the instruments, Wilkinson wasn't without his friends on this record, including them as much as he could, assembling a band without the confines of a band.

"I really wanted this to be a huge group project without the idea of a 'band' being behind it. From writing, to arranging, to all of the instruments, backup vocals, production and engineering, this was exactly what I set out to do when I decided to make this record," Wilkinson proudly proclaims.

Guests include Wilkinson's former Mission 5 band mate, and favorite guitarist, Grant Cumpston, drummer Rob Stroup, journeyman and multi-instrumental Rich Lander, Professor Gall's Drew Norman, and Sean Flora. The album also features co-writes by Rob Barteletti, Nick Peets, and Anthony Lambright.

"All of these people made a huge difference in how the record sounds," Wilkinson says without hesitation. "I am really proud of the fact that I could pull together some of my favorite musicians in Portland and mash it together in an album that sounds like me, while at the same time showcases their contributions to the record."

He pauses, then continues. "It sounds like me but even better, even though most of them weren't in the studio at the same time. We made it sound cohesive, and I'm very proud of that."

And although it was never planned, the band has currently started playing out live and gaining a loyal following - an unlikely twist to the original scope of the recording project.

The record may have taken five years to record, but Wilkinson spent his life writing the songs, pulling out material he had written as far back as the early 90s, to songs he wrote while in the studio making the record. For a debut solo record, it truly encompasses all that Wilkinson is about.

Leading off with "No Exit," a song Wilkinson wrote while on the road with Gravelpit during a Rocky Mountain region tour, Wilkinson's distinct gravel and smoke rock pipes let you know this record is going to be a musical journey.

Few artists can pull off a strong rock song like "No Exit" and later in an album write a country number, without having it sound out of place or forced. However, Wilkinson pulls it off with the banjo number "Someday," a song he beams about when discussing.

"The song is about acknowledging my own double standards and owning up to stuff rather than blaming it on someone else. Since this is somewhat of a new outlook, I decided to do it in a new style."

And then there is the buoyant, summertime pop of "Sunshine Now," written in Portland, at night, during rainy and dark weather, offering up a glimpse of warmth and clarity while the sky showered the city with sheets of rain.

A highlight for Wilkinson is the Lee Hazelwood cover, "Some Velvet Morning," a subdued, yet inviting blurry-eyed number that pays tribute to Hazelwood while allowing Wilkinson room to commandeer it as his own. Same goes for "Crippled Mind," a song penned by legendary Northwest songwriter Chris Newman for his post-Napalm Beach outfit Snow Bud and the Flower People.

The end result: Wilkinson accomplished what he wanted. He made a record that truly sounds like him, that he is unabashedly proud of, and the culmination of his musical past and history.

"The idea that you can mix different styles and themes and still make it sound coherent, really appeals to me in a record," explains Wilkinson. "I think, at least before recently, a lot of bands want to make an album that has commercial appeal. I really just threw that aside and went with whatever sounded cool to me. I think I accomplished that with this. I also got a world-class producer, engineer, and musician in Rob Stroup. He never pressured me and always steered me that way I wanted to go. Plus he is a hell of a session musician. He's all over the place -from drum tracks, to bass, arrangements, percussion and guitars. I haven't had a chance to experience that before."

Now the only thing on Wilkinson's mind is playing out live and sharing his music with his new and old fans.

Websites:
Stagedive Page: Wilkinson Blades
Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/wilkinsonblades