Fred Hostetler Gives 'Your Mind Is On Vacation' A Makeover

03-13-2025

(DDPS) Fred Hostetler kicks off 2025 with the new single 'Your Mind Is On Vacation'. The classic Mose Allison tune gets a fresh but simple blues-rock arrangement and the lyric "Your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime" resonates in this present era of mindless chatter.

Using additional lyrics including "talking trash," Hostetler further describes the displeasure with this type of individual before breaking out of the song entirely and into the comfort of good time rockin' blues, a la his former band, Blue By Nature. The artist turned to northern Indiana musician friends from his youth, Tim Heist on harmonica and Eric Troyer on piano, to create a band feel that would include their bluesroots. This single will be included on Hostetler's forthcoming album 'Blues Back Pages' scheduled for release April 2025.

"When I accidentally came across the blues song 'Your Mind Is On Vacation' (and your mouth is working overtime) on YouTube, I knew it was important to do my own rendition," says Hostetler. "I immediately heard it in a different way, a fresh approach using multiple blues genres and finally spinning off into a groove reminiscent of Blue By Nature and a relief from the 'yakety yak'. So, there you go. Something a little bit different to enjoy. It's a song that is perhaps a sign of the times, about someone who values himself above all others. An interesting side note is that many in the blues community attribute the title to a phrase first used by legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy. If you know anything