Jim Patton and his wife and musical collaborator, Sherry Brokus, have a unique gift for transforming everyday moments into stories with deeper meaning. Their new album, Two True Loves on Berkalin Records, explores the decisions, desires and instincts that guide most of our lives.

Recorded at Jumping Dog Studios in Austin, Texas and produced by Ron Flynt, Two True Loves was mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Mastering. The album features an impressive roster of musicians — with Jim on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Sherry sharing her harmonies, Ron contributing bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar and harmony vocals, Scrappy Jud Newcomb on lead guitar, John Chipman on drums, and BettySoo adding her harmonies.

“We’re calling the album Two True Loves, but we could just as easily have called it I Want It All or Hard Times,” Jim explains. “That title refers to ‘Art vs. Love’, but it really means that sometimes you have to choose between something you love and the one that you love. That definition even applies to the cheating songs on the record. Other themes running through the album include loneliness and fear of loneliness, and consequences born of pure greed. In that respect, it expresses my disdain for people who think they know what’s best for someone else’s life.”

Sherry adds: “Two True Loves combines a few older songs from the ’80s with some recent compositions. The lyrics inspired a full-tilt rock ’n’ roll band approach. Interestingly, that’s exactly how everyone on the record heard the songs—there was no need for discussion or coaxing the players into a direction. The songs themselves guided us to where we needed to go.”

Jim continues: “Ron and I conceived this album as a follow-up to 2023’s Big Red Gibson, skipping right over the folk album that came in between. I’ve always leaned toward a Byrds- or Stones-like sound when working with a full band—it’s like what Neil Young did when bringing his folky songs to his band, then waiting to see what happened. This particular lineup—Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Ron Flynt, John Chipman—is one of the best a player could hope for. It also spotlights our longtime friend BettySoo, who’s been singing with us for years. As Sherry noted, we didn’t have to explain what the songs should sound like—it was all about a great band interpreting my songs. They’re schooled in the same music I am, so playing on my songs came naturally to them.”