In addition to playing most of the instruments on the record, this is also Halter's first self-produced album. Halter says, "Many people love the early recordings for their laid back, raw, acoustic vibe, and I wanted 'Franklin & Vermont' to be a studio record with the same soul. It's easy to lose something in translation, easy to lose the magic of a live performance when it comes to making a record. But for the first time, I feel like I really got it."

"Franklin and Vermont" is named for two cross streets in the quiet Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles where Halter lives. "I wanted the record to carry with me a piece of home, since I spend so much time on the road," he says. It is the happiness he finds in the slow pace of his community that brought him to the studio, desiring to capture his newfound peace in this new collection of songs.

"This Beautiful Ache" features the haunting vocals of Amy Kuney and Tony Lucca, and describes the pain and pleasure a memory can bring. "Almost You" a co-write with Kyler England (The Rescues), Spiewak, and Richard Furch, sings of a love you can't seem to forget, while "Hard To Let A Good Love Go" is about the "difficulty of ending a relationship, not because you fell out of love, but because of circumstances such as distance or bad timing. That's the hardest kind of love to lose." Halter also celebrates love found in unexpected ways with the sweet and sparse "Angel." Halter's Mya-Moe mango wood ukulele features on a number of songs on "Franklin & Vermont": the aforementioned "Angel," the up-tempo "We Got Love" (penned in Nashville with Lady Antebellum guitarist Jason "Slim" Gambill), and bittersweet "In My Place," a Coldplay cover arranged for cello, voice, and ukulele. Another cover on the record is an acoustic arrangement of "Black Coffee In Bed" (Squeeze), a song which Ernie describes as the soundtrack to his youth.

"Ernie Halter shows an impressive level of maturity as a singer and a songwriter on this collection of recordings," says Rock Ridge Music President Jason Spiewak. "His new material is thoughtful, emotionally impactful, and it's been beautifully recorded"

Halter is already well-known for his original interpretations of established songs, as evidenced by his extremely successful YouTube covers series two years ago (www.youtube.com/user/ernell42). A big believer in supporting and involving his fans on many levels, Halter broadcast his recording sessions for his last studio album, "Starting Over" (which peaked at #22 on the iTunes rock album chart) in real time online for fan feedback and comments as the work was being done on the record.