First things first – you should see “Sweat” at the Cloverdale Playhouse (it opens tonight!), and you should get your tickets soon. Tonight’s show is sold out. According to this Montgomery Advertiser article, “Early performances have sold out for this thought provoking American worker tale that runs Thursday through May 9, but you can still get in to see it”
“Set in Reading, Pennsylvania between 2000 and 2008, “Sweat” is a thought provoking look at the lives we build around ourselves. In this case, it deals with a group of unionized steel mill workers whose company is suddenly making changes. Between layoffs and picket lines, ordinary lives are suddenly caught in a war between community and capitalism.”
There’s strong language, by the way, so… you know… get a babysitter or something.
It’s been shared a lot on social media, so many thanks to everyone who’s shared it, pre-ordered the film, bought tickets to the play, and continue to support the art I’m involved with. It means a lot, and I am very appreciative of it.
Because you are reading this on the internet, it’s a safe assumption that you are not living under some deserted rock and are aware that the world is super weird and all pandemic-y right now, but alas, good people! I bring you a glimmer of hope!
OK, for real, since COVID showed up, the Cloverdale Playhouse has still been trying to make the Guitar Pull happen as best and safely as possible. The last couple or so have been livestreamed from each individual artist’s home. Of course, livestreaming has it’s own set of difficulties with quality, internet speeds, lag, etc.
So… for the event tomorrow night, it will be on their website, but it was pre-recorded yesterday in the Playhouse courtyard area. We wore masks during setup, kept our distance, and had a great time. It felt good to be back, even with the different format and our audience being the crew and a camera.
Photo by Cloverdale Playhouse Artistic Director Sarah Thornton.
Click here to visit the September 2020 Guitar Pull page. The event will be shown at 7pm tomorrow. Oh, also, I debut a new song and talk about playing a serial killer in a film (again… I know, I know – why am I so scary and murder-y and stuff?)
Anyway, as you can see in the promo image above, I got to share the stage with the talents of Cameron DuBois and Adam Powell. It was fun, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
If you are unfamiliar with this event, my first feature documentary chronicles the event’s history. Commit to the Song: The Joe Thomas Jr. Guitar Pull is available on Amazon and the trailer is below:
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the event tomorrow night. Much love!
Well, after three attempts over, I dunno, maybe four or five years (sigh), the album is complete. Finally.
Sure, with life and chaos and film projects and writing/performing with BARRENS and anything else that pops up, maybe it makes sense that it’s taken a while, but it’s finally done – eight songs that will encompass my new solo album, Carry the Wounds.
Track listing:
Liquid Heart
Imperfections
Carry the Wounds
An Empty Phrase
Crescent Glow
The Southern Wind
Fake a Smile
Stay on the Wire
That’s the main news, but if you want a little more back story, here ya go:
Some of these songs I’ve had for at least six years. Maybe slightly longer. I had planned to work on a ten-song album originally. I kicked myself for not starting on it; if you’re an artist, you more than likely understand the self-hatred where you call yourself lazy for not doing the thing you think you should be doing – in this case, recording my album.
I have recorded my own work as a solo artist, but I wasn’t feeling it at the time. It felt tedious and daunting. So I thought that maybe I should go into a studio for the basics – guitar and vocals – then I’d have that foundation in place where I could just have fun layering other parts and instruments.
I thought going into the studio would be the kick in the ass that I needed to get going. So I went into a friend’s studio and began tracking. Well, due to a variety of life circumstances for both him and myself, that session was never completed.
So after more time and life and chaos and other projects, I started once again, this time attempting to record at home like my previous solo releases.
I tracked the main guitar for ten songs, then began to layer vocals and other instruments. I got vocals on maybe five or six songs, layered other instruments on a couple of those, and got busy with other things and uninspired and it fizzled out.
Of those ten songs, I only finished one that I thought was good enough to put out into the world – “This Barren Land,” the single I released in December 2018.
During the last bit of fall and early winter 2019, I went back and listened to what I had started a couple of years ago, and I decided to start over. Those incomplete recordings were not inspiring. I felt that I could do better. I hoped that I had grown as an artist. So I scrapped those recordings and began attempt number three.
With all of that – the eight songs on here are not even all part of the original ten I had planned to record. “Carry the Wounds” and “Liquid Heart” were written after I began those previous recording sessions, but I wanted them on this album.
I’ll be announcing album art and more details as things progress, but I hope that the wait was worth it. I hope you will enjoy it when it’s finally out there (on March 6!)
If you’re interested in hearing my previous solo releases, check out the “Music” page on this site. They’re on streaming outlets such as Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Or visit the links below:
The music video I directed for Megan McMillan was released this morning! Check it out below:
Thanks to Jake Maben, Kandy Shoults, Jarrod McMillan, Dwight and Pat Hutson, Jamie and Barbara Terry, Eric Hull and Black Warrior Brewing Company, and Royce Williams for helping make this happen.
The song was produced Shawn Byrne at Great Hill Studio in Nashville, TN. Video produced by Terrible Master Films.
OK, but for real, the Druid City Songwriters Festival posted the lineup today, and you should check that out. I’m really looking forward to performing at this and seeing a lot of the friends I’ve made at the Joe Thomas Jr. Guitar Pull over the years.
In other news, Chris Eckels (bassist from Abusements) grabbed some video footage from the debut Barrens show last Saturday. Here’s the song “Concubineapple.”
And this coming Saturday, April 21, I’ll be performing my solo material at Bomber’s Pub, opening for The Murder of Jane Crow, from Birmingham. (See, there’s the “Murder” from the post title. I didn’t leave you hanging.)
Many thanks to Kenny Dean, The Barnyard Jamboree, and the folks at WAXC TV 3 in Alexander City for allowing me to play some of my songs for their audience.
The entire performance and interview can be seen here:
josh carples 