2008 brought with it another successful solo tour of the US, UK, and Ireland. However, this year, Drew would get to tour in Japan as well after signing with Grey Dog's Records - an indie label based out of Yokohama. The label signed "Earlier Work" and brought Drew overseas in October to tour and promote the album to much success. At the end of the year (much like the previous two years), Drew had written another collection of songs to record. This time, Drew called on Devin Kerr (of Good Hertz Studios in Ann Arbor, MI) to co-produce the album in Devin's home studio (where Drew lived during the majority of the sessions). Most of Drew's music is made out of necessity. A solo piano bar player most of his young career, his first album "Earlier Work" sounds like a piano bar. "Love and Politics on a Piano," his 2nd album, is simply Drew and a piano because 90% of his shows are just that. "The Troubadour" is Drew's venture into a recording process without the limitations of being a "Piano Man." There are over a dozen instruments featured on the album (played by many prominent musicians in the Ann Arbor community at the time) and several of the songs have no piano in them at all. The overall mood of "The Troubadour" is simply that of a character on a journey - almost more of a musical than an album. Drew describes the album as "the physical and metaphysical exploits of the traveling musician." Personnel: Drew De Four - vocals, piano, acoustic guitars, mandolin, choir Devin Kerr - bass, trombone, percussion, vocals, sonic landscaping Theo Katzman - drums, percussion, vocals, choir Sara Curtin - vocals, choir Tomek Miernowski - electric guitars, accordion, choir Joey Dosik - saxophone, vocals Matt Endahl - rhodes keyboard Katri Ervamaa - cello Mark Kirschenmann - trumpet Brad Phillips - violin Tom Torrento - flugelhorn Tyler Duncan - bodhrán Christian Carpenter - fretless bass Michelle Chamuel - choir Colleen "Kin" Curran - choir Laurel Premo - choir Aaron Wolf - choir