Mitch Announces New Solo Album Saltwater Tapes — A Meditative Acoustic Journey of Guitar and Rain

After a decade of artistic growth and quiet refinement, guitarist and composer Mitch Koehler returns with Saltwater Tapes, his second solo album and a serene exploration of texture, emotion, and atmosphere. The project arrives ten years after his self-recorded debut at West Chester University’s Radio Station 91.7 The Curve—an album Mitch modestly describes as “mixed poorly by myself,” yet foundational in shaping his personal artistic voice.

Saltwater Tapes presents a different kind of intimacy: a series of delicate solo guitar pieces performed on Mitch’s Collings Baby 2H, layered over the gentle soundscape of falling rain. The album is minimalist by design, inviting listeners into a quiet world where resonance, silence, and subtle movement carry as much weight as melody.

The project draws inspiration from two key influences—producer Chill Phil, known for his atmospheric ambience and distant thunderstorms, and guitarist Charlie Rauh, whose work highlights the beauty of brevity and intentionality. “Phil taught me how calming a world of ambience can be,” Mitch explains. “Charlie reminded me how sweet it is to keep songs short and particular. Every note and space should matter.”On Saltwater Tapes, Mitch captures the essence of both: the soothing expanse of ambient sound and the precision of thoughtful, delicate guitar phrasing.