As many young men do, Douglas Haines began playing music in his youth. And as many young men do, he put his music aside to raise a family and pursue a sensible career.

He moved to Chicago and worked in computer programming for 26 years. Now, his two kids are off to college. He moved back to Winona Lake in 2002, and he’s focused on his music again.

“It was kind of a realization of what I’ve always loved to do,” says Haines. “I paint, I draw, I write songs. I look back and say, ‘I should have done this 20 years ago.'”

“I started playing in 1972. My brother was actually the one who nurtured music,” Haines, who was born to missionary parents in Korea, remembers. “I wrote my first song the same week I got my first guitar. I probably wrote five to 10 songs before I went to college that fall.”

From 1973 to 1979, Haines and his brothers, Lowell and Terry, were gigging regularly, touring the Midwest. “One reason we stopped, our lead player was diagnosed with cancer,” says Haines. “He passed away four months later.”

Sometime after, Haines graduated from college (“I was on the six-year plan,” he says with a laugh), and started his life out of the limelight. Music may have taken a back seat, but Haines never gave it up completely. He says he’s written 165 songs in his lifetime and has just as many outlines and half-finished tracks.

“I love sad songs, I love happy songs,” says Haines, who favors a heartfelt and delicate folk style. “I love picking out new rhythms and melodies.”

Haines says he’s recently gotten involved with musicians in Nashville, Tenn. These newly-fostered relationship have led to a huge break. The Haines Brothers have a soon-to-be-released album, “Friday’s Highway” which features Music City legends Phil Madeira, Vince Gill, David Mansfield and more.

The album will be distributed to more than 200 radio stations in just a couple of weeks. Later this year the album will be available to the public. In the meantime, Haines is booking intimate concerts in the local area and writing more music. For booking information, visit www.douglashainesmusic.com.

A complementary download of Haines’ Warsaw Office Session is available below.
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