Sweetgum

I met John Walker on Facebook, years ago, and we cannot remember how. I think it grew out of an interview I gave to a friend of his for This Might Be a Podcast.

Anyroads, I soon learned about John’s songmaking, and found it top-notch. I can’t remember how we first collaborated… It might have been when I constructed elaborate backing vocals for his beautiful song Peaceful Living.

He sent me the unfinished song, and I gave him like 30 ideas, and he used all of them, which was hilarious and delightful. Over the years since then, I’ve probably recorded 50 individual tracks of drums, bass, guitars, vocals, harmonica, hand claps, shakers, tambourines, and muttered jokey remarks for various of his songs, and I think he’s used all or part of every one of them. This is not typical in musical collaboration. He just loves other people’s ideas, but has a strong enough production vision to make everything his own.

I love how loose everything feels with him. I’m never more relaxed than when I’m coming up with stuff for Sign Figh. It’s just playtime for me.

This goes double for the EP I’m sharing with you today, which showcases a song from his upcoming album, The Dashed Hopes Jokebook. Here’s John’s press release:

Hey folks!

Today is a big day because it marks the release of Sweetgum, a new maxi-single that includes "Everywhere Everywhere," a track from the upcoming Sigh Figh album (The Dashed Hopes Jokebook, coming September 1), as well as two exclusive non-album tracks, "Puttin' Up With It" and "A Blackhole Mood." Here's a little information on the songs.

01: Everywhere Everywhere (Single Mix)
“Everywhere Everywhere” began as a story-song about a true crime case. Over time, the lyrics gradually morphed into an attempted description of a cat’s beguilingly inscrutable point-of-view. Musically, the evolution from a kraut-rock-inspired arrangement with a hypnotic central synth figure into this final Kinks-ish form is largely in debt to Ky Fifer’s energetic guitar work.

02: Puttin’ Up With It (non-album track)
The song “Puttin’ Up With It” was written by John for dearly departed indie act Rosemary Stretch, but it died instantly on the floor of the band’s practice space and was never tried again. When Jonathan Feinberg heard the demo, years later, it wasn’t long before he rounded it out with a one-man rhythm section and then John’s harmony vocals were added.

03: A Blackhole Mood (non-album track, instrumental)
In its original incarnation, “A Blackhole Mood” had headtrippy lyrics that grappled with a cosmic vision of a possible afterlife, but the vocals always felt busy if not totally uncalled-for on top of this piece of music. The backing track was brought out of mothballs and remixed to showcase the wistful power of Jonathan’s newly-recorded bass part.

See you soon with more on that album!

—John W.

I’m especially in love with Puttin’ Up With It, on which I play some harmonica, the hardest instrument to play that looks easy to play.

Enjoy!