The Ditchflowers

Brian Merrill
Born, grew, married, offspring.
Parade In Paris, Factory Black, Barely Pink, The Threads.
Sold records—in Japan, a whole separate country!
Now who is he supposed to turn? The Ditchflowers, that’s what.
Brian sings, thinks, ventures forth and functions as chief machine whisperer.

Ed Woltil
Hatched, mutated, assimilated, ramificated.
Mad For Electra, Drive Thru Church, The Headlights, Nineveh Project.
Won awards—recently even
Don’t look now, but that’s him standing in your dream.
Ed operates guitars and other creatures, sings, thinks, makes wishes and sometimes in public.

Former frontman of Big Deal recording artists Barely Pink, Brian fuses craft and showmanship with thick, chewy, pop-rock goodness. Tough yet tuneful, The Pink were the go-to band for high-profile opening slots for the likes of Cheap Trick and The Smithereens. Brian’s music has been featured in broadcasts by such diverse outlets as the XGames on ESPN, the Disney Channel and the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Brian’s been in show biz since he was chosen at age 11 to back up The Carpenters with a choir of other overrated sixth graders.

Award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ed Woltil channels inspired melodicism and riveting musicianship. Whether leading Tampa Bay power pop savants, Mad For Electra, or playing rhythm guitar with Florida’s legendary Headlights (Roger McGuinn’s one-time backing band), Woltil has charmed audiences and critics alike. Power pop maven Jordan Oakes (Yellow Pills) wrote that “in Woltil’s songs, everything comes together - like in a magician’s rope trick.” Solo or with MFE, Woltil has opened shows for Richard Thompson, Marshall Crenshaw, Alex Chilton, Chris Isaak and Procol Harum. Woltil’s “Boys,” one of Carried Away’s twelve gems, has already garnered national attention as a Finalist in the Folk category of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Session 1.

Woltil helped Barely Pink pull off Side Two of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album at the 2004 WMNF Beatles Tribute concert—a singular performance that made waves among Tampa Bay music circles. Sitting in with the band at a number of other local gigs rekindled Merrill’s and Woltil’s friendship, whetting their appetites to do something with a little more stretch than their recent pursuits. Merrill invited Woltil to come down to his Studio B in St. Petersburg and collaborate with him on a few songs. After writing and recording basic tracks for Hearts Caved In and My Next Life, the two realized they had a pair of gems in their possession and decided to keep exploring the rich vein of possibilities open at their feet. A weekly tradition ensued. Woltil and Merrill would follow the muse wherever she led, and ended up making exactly the album they wanted to make.

Field Unit:
Sometimes Brian & Ed need help. Stan Arthur, Mike Hoag and Steve Connelly have generously been forced to do this. Mike squeezes out thick, prehensile gobs of tasty bass paste. Stan is to drums and backing vocals what Francois Truffaut was to french cinema. Steve shows up, clocks in, rolls up his sleeves, and descends into guitar-induced trances of ridiculous proportions.