Wovenhand

David Eugene Edwards, the enigmatic frontman and visionary for 16 Horsepower, began recording under the Woven Hand moniker while Horsepower was on hiatus in 2001. (The name "Woven Hand" references two hands clasped in prayer, an image that points to the consistent theme of Christianity in Edwards' music.) Building on the same stylistic threads that informed 16 Horsepower — e.g., incendiary gospel, hallowed folk, and mordant tones infused with a high, dark theatricality worthy of Nick Cave — Edwards began working on the material at home in Denver, where he recorded, produced, and played on most of the album by himself. Later, he pulled in guitarist Steve Taylor (also of 16 Horsepower) to help flesh out the compositions. The self-titled project was initially released on the German label Glitterhouse; it was then issued in the U.S. on Sounds Familyre in early 2003. Along with a parcel of Edwards' original compositions, the album also included a knee-buckling take on Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone." That same year, Edwards set to work on Blush Music, a set of compositions created for a modern dance company in Belgium.