Local band Jonathan Warren & the Billy Goats is dropping a new album and hosting a release party on Friday, April 5 at the Sapphire Room at the Riverside Hotel in Garden City.
This is their sixth album of the kind of music that challenges description.
Warren calls it: "Progressive PsychoBilly Folk Grass."
Warren recently stopped by Boise Weekly and dropped off a copy of the album. Later, he emailed a Q&A with his manager, Alex Steininger, music journalist and publicist and founder of "In Music We Trust," a label, e-zine and publicity company. The following conversation between the two of them has been gently edited.
The name of the album — what's the story there?
The name of the album is “Gruff” because that was what the process of recording this album felt like. It was more of a struggle to complete than any previous album I have written. I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury during the process of recording this album which originally began in 2001. Following the accident, I had to take time off from music to heal and try to find the motivation, energy and creativity to begin writing songs again. … This album came about by grace, perseverance and luck.
Is there a theme that runs through the album?
As (with) each previous album, “Gruff” is about love: the joy, the loss and the continuing search for it.
Can you name a specific song lyric on the album that has special meaning?
“When you talk about my pain, then you talk about my doubt” may not be my favorite lyric but it is one of the most meaningful. Struggles with anxiety, depression and self-doubt were often obstacles in beginning the process of writing and performing music again.
This is your sixth album — can people expect to hear similarities, differences?
One difference between this and previous albums is that cellist and songwriter David Henry did not add any of his originals to it; all the songs were written by me. The final song “Shady Grove” is a traditional bluegrass song. The highlight of the album was recording (it). It felt good to relive the energy and experience of performing during the band’s early days.
What was the actual recording of the album like?
I’ve never expected an album to be as difficult as this one was to make. It forced me to take a deep look at myself and find the reason that I started writing songs in the first place. Writing songs has always been easy to me, I didn’t have a choice in the past. A melody or lyric would come to me and I would find myself running to my phone to record a voice memo, or frantically searching for a pen and paper to jot down a lyric.
What will it sound like played live?
The album will sound different live — we will be performing each song with the band’s new drummer Mike Apodaca. Several songs on the album were recorded without percussion and Mike will be filling in those holes live. One of our musical peers, Charlie Sutton, will be joining us at our album release. He traverses the same path of folk into rock and country that the Billy Goats do.
Are there others here who you consider your peers?
Other local peers include Ryan Curtis, Jeff Crosby, and Hillfolk Noir. I’ve been inspired and have learned a lot from the Avett Brothers and Langhorne Slim.
What do you want people to take away from the album?
My goals for this record include gaining the attention this collection of songs deserves and hopefully offering listeners a break, a needed cry, a moment of strength or the dance party they needed to make it through the chaos of today.
The release party for "Gruff" is 7 - 9:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5 at the Sapphire Room. Tickets are $24 - $28 at eventbrite.com. The LP is $9.99, available at the party and at jonathanwarrenmusic.com. Click on this link to watch a video of the song "Talk My Doubt."
