When taking on the moniker Chicago Farmer, singer-songwriter Cody Diekhoff aimed to not only showcase the dichotomy of his life and travels — growing up in the tiny Illinois farm community of Delavan, and calling “The Windy City” home for several years — he also wanted to honor his past through his uplifting, introspective melodies.
This is why Diekhoff’s latest offering, Homeaid (out March 6 on LoHi Records, PRE-SAVE HOMEAID HERE and PRE-ORDER LPS AND CDS HERE), puts a spotlight on the old soul nature and deep ethos of compassion and camaraderie that resides at the core of his being. A blend of Americana, indie-folk and roots-rock, the album swirls effortlessly into the ether of a modern world facing uncertain times.
Produced by Chad Staehly (who worked with legendary troubadour Todd Snider on Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3), Diekhoff is backed on Homeaid by his touring band for the first time, The Fieldnotes, featuring Charlie Harris (bass), Cody Jensen (keys/mandolin), Frank Kurtz (drums), and Jaik Willis (guitar).
Meandering through Homeaid, there are odes to teenage transgressions in the name of irresponsible enlightenment (“Tina Hart’s Mustang”), odes to the splendor and tragedy of growing older (“Sorry You’re Sick”), odes to nothing and everything (“Mattress”) — the cultivation of which being Diekhoff and his curious life, one remaining in perpetual motion, onstage and on the road.
For Diekhoff, the result of his vast experiences is this growing catalog of songs used as conduits to connect one another through the hardscrabble truths of what it means to wander this earth in search of truth and beauty.
With Homeaid, his true sense of self is felt when it comes to those cherished faces and vivid moments from your own past. Images, sounds, and feelings conjured with ease, usually while cruising down some backcountry road, windows rolled down, the sunshine of another bountiful day slowly falling below the horizon, the unknown night quickly emerging — this crossroads of sheer gratitude and endless inspiration.
Today, Glide is premiering the standout track “Great River Road.” With a healthy helping of slide guitar keeping things lathered up, the song is a bright and soaring work of folk-rock that pulls you in with its expansive vocals and lyrics that seem to revel in a timeless spirit. The song also finds Diekhoff tapping into a long tradition of troubadour storytelling, vivid with literary sensibility and observation, and featuring plenty of poignant moments and visuals.
QUOTE: Like many folks I have two sides of the family. My Dad’s side and my Mom’s side. One side is pretty close and the other not so much. We love them, we’re just not as close and tight knit as the other side of the family. A few years back I started asking myself why that was. What I realized is that on the close side of the fam I still had grandparents alive and on the not so close side I didn’t. They were kind of the glue that held us all together and kept us close. I’m down to one Grandparent now and while I’m working on getting closer to the one side of the family I’m also hoping that the glue stays strong on that side of the family when my last of that generation heroes comes to the end of her journey.
Grandpa lived to be just shy of 102, Grandma is 97. I never really thought of them as old until Grandpa had to go to the nursing home a few years ago. He lived in the same farm house that he was born and raised in up until that point. Grandma was healthy and as sharp as ever but decided to go live in the nursing home with Grandpa to live out his final moments. It’s a love that I could never really put into words, but I tried with ‘Great River Road.’ The song is about the end of their journey, the next generation reminiscing and echoing their stories that they acquired on the road of life. How mundane yet beautiful life together can be we two souls morph into one and then pass that soulfulness onto the next. Grateful I’m here and able to echo their stories and sentiments. — Chicago Farmer
LISTEN:
HOMEAID TOUR 2026 *
3/6 Davenport, IA Common Chord
3/7 Des Moines, IA xBk Live
3/8 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads
3/12 Appleton, WI Appleton Beer Co
3/13 Bangor, WI Leo & Leona’s
3/14 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
3/19 Newport, KY – Southgate House Revival
3/20 Indianapolis, IN HiFi INDY
3/21 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
3/27 Saint Louis, MO Old Rock House
3/28 Bloomington, IL Castle Theatre
4/3 Chicago, IL Martyrs’
4/4 Chicago, IL Martyrs’
4/11 Kalamazoo, MI Bells Brewery
4/17 Effingham, IL – Effingham VFW
4/18 Carbondale, IL Hangar 9
4/24 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
4/25 Columbus, OH Natalie’s Music Hall
5/8 West Bend, WI Bend Theatre
5/9 Stoughton, WI Stoughton Opera House
*additional dates to be announced soon
