INTRODUCTION:

Woke Again… a 2020 release produced by the cantankerous RonnieHays, exudes a surly serenity throughout. This record pulsates with an effortless sensibility that’s hard to fathom. Take, for instance, the opening track, “Coolest Place,” where the lyrics reveal a conspicuous absence of existential anxiety. It’s as if the singer refuses to be defined by geographic boundaries or the fickle hierarchies of friends and acquaintances. As the songs unfurl, we witness relentless forces of nature… tornadoes, meteorites, social unrest… unleashing havoc upon a weary humanity, while the songs’ protagonists remain unfazed by the destruction. A recurring theme echoes through the lyrics: “…sometimes redemption requires discipline.” It serves as a steady reminder, and this “so it goes” equanimity echoes throughout the record. 

As stated in the EP’s liner notes…

The cover art suggests a singer awoken in the body of a pack mule. Unfazed by this apparent karmic demotion, he beholds a gaggle of wild children inhabiting this strange and foreboding world. To them, he offers no lamentation. Instead, he offers Rip Van ramblings to pass time as they slowly satisfy their curiosity.

HAYS DAYS:

In RonnieHays’ youthful heyday, there were a couple of write-ups. One, from a newspaper profile of a band called “Crossfire.” These unadorned rebels played stadium rock like Zep, VH, Def Leppard, Rush, and others while the other local bands clung to “American Graffiti” nostalgia or the preening of Bon Jovi, Journey, and REO Speedwagon anthems. Crossfire distinguished themselves by refusing to play the template of the local scene. Ultimately Crossfire emerged victorious at the Western Kansas Battle of the Bands (Miller Highlife’s “Rock to Riches“) in the spring of ’83.

SELL-OUT DAYS:

Another write-up materialized as the ghost of RonnieHays languished as Ron Rohlf sought a place for himself in the Western Kansas mainstream. Determined to appease his parents, Rohlf took a job at a produce distribution company in Salina, Kansas. His musical side-hustle involved a futile attempt at producing records for local artists using a pre-digital 4-track cassette recorder. The local newspaper lauded this commendable effort to promote LOCAL talent… hence, the write-up.

AND NOW:

Rip Van PackMule aptly symbolizes Rohlfie’s muse, as the 2005 offering, Rohlfie’s Dog, was burned onto hundreds of compact disks (CDs) and distributed among friends and family many years ago. Much has transpired since. Notably, all future releases, including the present one, will find their homes on streaming platforms and Bandcamp. No more shall CDs be burned, packaged, and dispatched from the home office.

Within the tracks of PackMule’s various efforts, one might discern echoes of influences ranging from John Mayer and Rob Thomas, to Karla Bonoff and Patty Griffin, but mostly the crazy cats responsible for writing the soundtrack of Ron Rohlf’s teen years, Shel Silverstein’s Dr. Hook. That said, the work does not cater to a specific demographic. The consistent thread of PackMule’s output is lyric-focused, vocal-centric production.

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