15 January 2010 : Yet another new moon meets solar eclipse today; seemed like a good time to launch new presences on Facebook and Twitter, which will basically keep you alerted to changes on this site and on the MySpace page, speaking of which, there's a new demo up there now as well. Happy New Year and hope all is well wherever you are!
21 December 2009 : Happy Holidays, folks! Today's winter solstice brings good news from the Makerworks refuge. Thanks to an incredibly kind nod from Ben Ratliff, Maker’s New Moon Hand made the best of 2009 lists featured in yesterday’s New York Times. Also, a new interview recently appeared in the 20th anniversary issue of UK magazine Blues Matters. In the states, if your local Barnes & Noble carries this title, the cover of this issue features the Black Crowes, and you may still be able to find a copy. If not, you can also read it here. As far as 2010 is concerned, Willem is currently searching for a new booking agent and will be shopping around two projects he is writing and recording at his newly renovated Foxhole studio (complete with homemade echo chamber) — Agapao, a long player of ecstatic "hymns," and Ain't Dead Yet, an EP inspired by Skip James and his cross-note tuning.
30 September 2009 : Hey folks, a four song set of live Maker magic is available today on the Daytrotter site; Willem recorded the tracks at their Rock Island studio on July 21st, a day which included not only an appropriately-new moon but an intense solar eclipse as well. If you're unfamiliar with their program, check out the session archives, and you're sure to be entertained for sometime. Meanwhile, more good news is on the way, so please stay in touch and in tune!
26 July 2009 : Heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out, said hello and/or bought some Maker merch on the recent US tour, and superhuman heartfelt thanks to Bob and Danny, whose camaraderie, compassion and cooperation made an impossible schedule somehow possible. Check out these pics from Spaceland, this pic from Doug Fir, and these pics and video from the Brass Rail, and if you haven't visited the press page lately, some kind words for New Moon Hand are now online.
17 May 2009 : With a couple of weeks to go on his first US tour, Willem Maker will play the Mercury Lounge tonight and Union Hall in Brooklyn tomorrow, and you can read a very positive review from today's New York Times here!
28 April 2009 : Willem Maker's US tour with Bob Log III begins today in Los Angeles at Spaceland. Give the dates a look at MySpace and come out to say hello if possible. Also, a new interview with Buzzine and an AllMusic review of New Moon Hand are online now.
17 March 2009 : New Moon Hand is in stores today, but if you're local shop ain't hip, you can always get a copy direct from Big Legal Mess or, if you're in Austin tonight, come out and support Willem at Emo's, where he'll be selling the disc by hand. And if you haven't done so already, please check out this imagery and these tunes!
13 March 2009 : Friday the 13th is not such an unlucky day for friends of Makerworks. New Moon Hand will be released Tuesday by Big Legal Mess (Fat Possum), and tomorrow Willem hits the road with fellow Leafy Green act, dd//mm//yyyy, on his way to SXSW; all these dates, including day parties, are now posted here. Also, please visit the media page for newly uploaded lyrics and session notes, a press photo from Turkey Heaven Mountain and a new Foxhole video for "Black Beach Boogie."
26 February 2009 : Makerworks is pleased to announce a March 17th release date for New Moon Hand which will be available on CD and limited edition, 180 gram vinyl. Hope you dig the new website and Mueller's artwork, but please visit Maker's MySpace page as well for MP3 previews and a slew of new live dates, including several SXSW appearances and a North American tour with Bob Log III!
01 January 2009 : Happy New Year! New Moon Hand is currently in production following wonderful contributions from Sarah Register of the Lodge, who also mastered Stars Fell On, and German artist Christoph Mueller, whose artwork and design are sure to blow many minds. While the release date looks to be sometime in March, new tour dates with Clutch, The Bakerton Group and Red Fang are now up, so check those out and please stay tuned for what promises to be an eventful 2009!
01 December 2008 : Happy Holidays everyone! New Moon Hand is officially in the can, with mastering and artwork soon to be completed. Four songs were tracked alone at Maker's Foxhole studio, two at Mark Never's Beech House Recording featuring members of Lambchop and Silver Jews and six at Electraphonic Recording featuring Scott Bomar, Cedric Burnside, Jim Dickinson and Alvin Youngblood Hart. Willem is also pleased to announce his partnership with Todd Cote of Leafy Green Booking, and it looks as though SXSW 2009 will be an opportunity to witness an unprecedented flurry of live Maker magic. Those details as well as other upcoming dates and New Moon Hand media and infos will be posted as soon as they're available. Til then, hope ya'll are happy, warm and appropriately well-fed this holiday season!
02 September 2008 : Willem Maker's debut disc, Stars Fell On, was reissued today on Big Legal Mess Records (Fat Possum). Remaining copies of the self-released pressing, a limited edition of 1000, can be purchased online through CDBaby and will be available by hand at forthcoming shows. Maker's follow-up full-length for Big Legal Mess, tentatively entitled New Moon Hand and set to feature original artwork by the brilliant Christoph Mueller, studio wizardry by Scott Bomar, Mark Nevers and Bruce Watson, and musical contributions by a host of infamous luminaries, is currently in the works, so please stay in touch and as always, thanks for listening!