I have musical news to share, but first I need to acknowledge that things are not OK in our world right now. Authoritarianism, hatred, and division have been striking very close to home for many of us. I have new music to share, and I will continue to live my creative life as an act of defiance. But it feels odd to promote myself or sell a product in such a difficult time, so I'll try to keep the words to a minimum. In the meantime, I encourage you to keep up to date about immigrants' rights and what you can do to help out. Voces de la Frontera is a great resource for this.
I truly believe that art and community are serious weapons against fascism. In my own musical circles, exciting things have been brewing. First up: I'm releasing a brand new EP of original material on February 27! Introducing The Only One:
Tracklisting:
1. The Only One
2. One Mistake
3. Preparation
4. Turn the Light Off
5. Desolation (live)
These 5 songs were recorded during the sessions for The Hum, but they ended up not fitting the flow of the final album and were left off. I always intended to release them, and finally got a chance to mix and master them over the last few months. In returning to these songs, I felt like I was having a conversation with an old friend. I'm really happy with them, and proud of the guitar work in particular. Expect the same mixture of styles and moods that you heard on The Hum, with maybe a touch more theatricality. For me, it feels very important to clear out this past material so I can move on with my life. So this EP is a cleansing ritual in a way. I can't wait for you to hear it!
In other news, the new Driveway Thriftdwellers album High Top Van is now available on colored vinyl! Head to our online store or catch us at a show and pick up your copy. I am still so pleased with our work on this album.
I have a handful of shows coming up this month:
Friday, February 6 - Dub Foundation plays Bob Marley Birthday Bash at the Crystal Corner, Madison. I'm sitting in on trombone for this gig.
Saturday, February 21 - I'm playing a solo set at Cargo Coffee, Madison. 6-8pm
Friday, February 27 - Don't Mess With Cupid plays with Compact Deluxe at the Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton. 7:30pm. Get your tickets here!
Finally, I've been hard at work arranging songs for this year's annual RESPECT: A Celebration of Women in Music. As usual, The Big Payback will play the house band to a revolving door of talented local female musicians. The show is March 7 at the Majestic Theater. Tickets can be found here. I hope you can join us- it's always such a joyful night!
That's all I've got for now. Stay tuned for upcoming singles and lyric videos ahead of the February 27 release of The Only One. Meanwhile, take care of yourselves and each other. Be kind and speak out against injustice!
Peace and love,
Kyle