Label to focus on Americana musicians

William Lawrence ‘Bill’ Patterson December 20, 1969 - February 7, 2021

Last year, Bitchin’ Sauce stepped into the COVID-19 live-performance void by launching Bitchin’ Sauce Presents, a virtual-concert series featuring strippeddown performances by 10 artists, including Lucinda Williams, Dawes and Shakey Graves. And then the music-loving condiment company got its own record label.

In November, Bitchin’ Sauce launched the Bitchin’ Music Group, a new music label that will focus on finding and nurturing Americana bands and singer-songwriters. Bitchin’ Music is building recording studios in Nashville and Seattle, and thanks to a deal with the massive Universal Music Group — home to Interscope Records, Capitol

Records and many other labels — it will be able to distribute its music worldwide.

Once live events start happening again, they hope to start doing those, too. Which means that Starr and Luke Edwards are in the midst of another creative boom, learning-curve stresses not included.

“We were winging it a lot with Bitchin’ Sauce, and from the mistakes we made, we learned how to set up a business so that you won’t have issues down the road,” said the 33-year-old Starr, who grew up in Oregon and moved to San Diego when she was 18.

“In the music industry, because it is so geared around the emotions of the songs, it is easy to forget that there is a whole industry behind it. Being able to pull away that curtain by having a taste of the business life has been really helpful.”

And with the help of some top-shelf ingredients, the Bitchin’ Music Group is living up to the company’s name and the Edwards’ shared dreams.

The first album to be released by the Bitchin’ Music Group was “Blessings From Home, Vol. 1,” by L.A. Edwards, the rootsrock band fronted by Luke

Edwards. Older brother Jay plays keyboards, younger brother Harry plays drums, and Alex Vo is on lead guitar.

The album was produced by Ryan Hadlock who has worked with the Lumineers and the Foo Fighters. Its guest stars include bassist Ron Blair (who produced the band’s 2018 debut album, “True Blue”) and drummer Steve Ferrone, both longtime members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

“They are just the best. They create something together as a rhythm section that is very unique, and they are both really easy to work with,” Luke said of Blair and Ferrone. “Sometimes these larger-than-life people can be challenging, but they would just come to the studio in their slippers and eat turkey-and-cheese sandwiches with the boys.”

The album came out in early December, and in addition to enthusiastic write-ups from such outlets as Twangville and American Songwriter, “Blessings From Home, Vol. 1” got the ultimate pop-culture stamp of approval. Earlier this year, the album’s punchy first single, “Trouble,” was featured in an episode of “Walker,” the new CW network reboot of the Chuck

Norris drama, “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

The TV tie-in gave the album and the single a nice boost, while kicking off a year that will include the release of “Blessings From Home, Vol. 2” in the spring and the construction of the two studios.

Starr and Luke hope the studios will serve as nurturing retreats where artists can write and record, and where the Bitchin’ Music Group might be able to document the creative process for a potential film or TV project.

You could say that sounds ambitious. Risky, even.

Or you could just say it sounds Bitchin’.

“When we started Bitchin’ Sauce, it wasn’t like we were thinking, ‘Here’s what we should do so we can sell more.’ It was more like, ‘Here’s what we think people would like.’ There is a real authenticity there,” Luke said.

“We really hope to do something similar with Bitchin’ Music that we did with Bitchin’ Sauce, which is create something that your friends can’t wait to tell you about because they love it,” Starr said.

SAN DIEGO — William (Bill) Lawrence Patterson, 52, died unexpectedly on Sunday, February 7th, 2021.

Born in Manasquan, New Jersey, Bill enjoyed summers on the island of Chincoteague, Virginia with his brother, Jim, and their grandparents. Bill went to the University of Maryland, then Florida State for his Masters in Institutional Research. Bill was a talented and successful businessman, with a career first at Arthur Anderson in Chicago, then as GM for Proflowers in San Diego, then Customer Service Manager at Zebit, and most recently Vice President of Customer Service for Planet Art.

Bill had been living in San Diego, CA for 19 years and loved his adopted home city.

He is survived by his fiancée, Cheryl JonesHead, his mother, Cindy Ambrutis and stepfather, Tony Ambrutis.

He is also survived by his father William Robert Patterson, stepmother,

Lucy Patterson, four siblings, Lorrie, Jean, Michael and Luke, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Due to COVID, in-person services will not be held at this time. Online services are being organized.

The full measure of Bill’s life is the deep affection felt by his family and friends. He will be sadly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the San Diego Zoo, www.sandiegozoo.org/ memorial