?Luck? Trout CD Set for September Release

Four-time Grammy-nominated duo Trout Fishing in America is set to release its 16th musical CD on September 28.

Most audiences in Arkansas recognize Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet as performers of children’s music, but the two have always had an adult following. The new CD, “Lookin’ at Lucky,” is the first full-length adult CD the two have produced in about 11 years.

“The kid’s stuff really took off in the late ‘90s and 2000s,” said Grimwood.

All four Grammy noms came from children’s projects, but Trout plays several grown-up venues such as jazz and folk festivals throughout the year.

Grimwood said some of the new songs, like “The Car’s Running (and I can’t find my keys),” look at the challenges of getting older.

The two have performed together as Trout Fishing in America since late 1979 and now call Prairie Grove home. They play between 100 and 125 shows per year, Grimwood said.

Trout has sold about 400,000 CDs over the years, but downloads and single-copy sales push the total units to about 500,000. The two said the distribution side of their work is constantly changing, but that a lot of sales are done via the Internet. Trout Fishing music is available through the band’s website, on Amazon.com and through downloads at iTunes.

“Lookin’ at Lucky” was produced in their own studio and is an eclectic mix of styles, Idlet said. He classified the music as “Americana” and as being influenced by music they both heard as kids in Houston in the 1960s. Cajun, blues and folk influences are frequently heard in Trout songs.

The two haven’t turned their backs on children’s projects. Grimwood and Idlet published an illustrated children’s book called “My Name is Chicken Joe” in 2009 and are working on a follow-up book, but were hesitant to say when it might be published.