Works Progress Administration
WPA ~When "Less is More"
WPA stands for Works (in) Progress Administration. It is an ongoing series of download-only releases that Bill writes and records every few months at home. He and his wife play all the instruments (vocals, guitars, harmonicas, keyboards, bass, drums, the occasional accordion) and record it on a Zoom H4. The 4-track device is pretty "spartan," says Mallonee. 'On first glance, I think most songwriters would say is very limiting. But I found just the opposite: each of the WPA installments has revolutionized the way I "hear" a song now. It has stretched me to hear parts that are definitive and vital...and discard what is getting in the way. I've recorded 8 EPs over the last 2 years. The apparent "limitations" actually served as a challenge to write better secondary parts, whether they be guitars or keys. I found, rather suddenly, that these really memorable melodies began to emerge. Without having to depend on another guitarist to come up with something, I was able to stretch and come up with parts that I really think make the song. The initial acoustic track and vocal would go down together, so that still left me with 3 tracks. It pushed me to towards focusing on what made a song happen musically. I also think, due to life's recent experiences, that a few lyrical zeniths were hit.'
The WPA volumes are available at Bandcamp for download.
