Hello everyone,

 It's been a long time. Hope you're all doing well this summer.
 
 Just a short update for now. Over the Rhine has finished a new double album. 
 It's called OHIO. OHIO contains 20 new songs and over 90 minutes of music. If 
 you have as much fun listening as we had recording, it's going to be a good 
 year all around.
 
 Virgin/Back Porch will release OHIO August 19th in the USA, and across Europe 
 and in South Africa on September 8th.
 
 You may recall that we had thought maybe we would record two projects 
 simultaneously: one more sparse, the other full-bodied. In the end, it felt like the 
 songs belonged together, so we surrendered ourselves to our first double album.
 
 OHIO is our tenth project overall, and we will be doing a special edition on 
 vinyl in a gate-fold jacket. Much more on all this later.
 
 I'm not sure what happened, but while we were recording OHIO, we made peace 
 finally with the idea that this music has a lot to do with why we're here. 
 Writing and recording songs is just what we do, and I think we're letting go of 
 the suspicion that maybe there is something more important lurking around the 
 corner. While we were making OHIO, I had the calm but happy realization 
 that barring some unforeseen catastrophe, we'll still be making records 20 years 
 from now. It's good to know what it is that you're meant to be doing.
 
 It looks like we'll be touring all of the USA once again this Fall, and we're 
 looking forward to seeing all of you again. Our booking agent is confirming 
 dates now. In a few weeks, you'll start to see some routing posted at 
 overtherhine.com. We're planning a release concert at Bogarts here in Cincinnati on 
 August 30th. Then we'll start in the Midwest, head East, then out to the West 
 Coast and South through Texas, New Orleans etc. Stay tuned for more at 
 overtherhine.com.
 
 In the meanwhile, if you're planning on seeing the band at Cornerstone this 
 Friday at midnight, you'll hear some of the new songs from OHIO for the first 
 time. We've got a wonderful five-piece band with us that we're considering for 
 the Fall tour, and we're feeling pretty cathartic these days, so hang onto 
 your chairs. Karin and I are also performing an acoustic set on Thursday at 
 6pm, and we're doing a songwriting workshop Thursday at 4pm. So, stop by and 
 say hello if you're in the vicinity.
 
 Also, our good friend and mentor Dave Nixon is looking after our booth this 
 year. We've got some fine new t-shirts hot off the presses to check out, and if 
 you're just in need of some good company, feel free to stop by for a little 
 conversation. Dave is one of our all-time favorite people.
 
 There have been hundreds of details beckoning in regard to the impending 
 release of OHIO, but I think things will start to  settle down in a few weeks. 
 We'll get the website updated and begin taking  advance orders for OHIO, in case 
 you'd like to reserve a signed copy with a few special treats thrown in.

 In the meanwhile, I'm off to proofread the liner
 notes and credits one last time before we let them go.
 
 Till we meet again,
 
 Linford Detweiler for Over the Rhine
 
 ps Discussion list folks: Do you have any favorite  double albums? Least  
 favorite? It's hard to imagine the history of rock 'n' roll without The 
 White Album, London Calling, Exile on Mainstreet, Songs in the Key of 
 Life etc. Where have all the double albums gone?