The Bellows await (s).
/The Bellows is out today! You can find it at all of your online haunts: Qobuz, Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, etc. or grab a vinyl copy from my website.
I recall quite well the frenzied excitement I would feel on the day that a new record was released. Before I turned sixteen, this meant one of two things: I either called my dad at work and implored him to swing by the record store (about a mile from the pharmacy where he dispensed pills) on his way home, or I took the Samtrans bus down there myself, about an hour ride with all of the stops. Later, I’d take my 1966 Volvo down Alameda De Las Pulgas to Tower Records, buzzing the whole way. Then of course I had to bus (or drive) home, and the excitement was palpable. The anticipation, the building energy of it all, was simply glorious. And it took work. Not only did I have to mow lawns and put in my hours each week at the local hardware store to pay for it, I had to work to get it. None of this sitting on my fucking couch and listening to it for free. I know that musicians are working hard to generate that same sort of longing and anticipation, but it just isn’t the same. You’ve all heard it said time and time again, but we value the things in life more when we have to work for them.
Not only has streaming taken revenue from artists, it has changed the way that listeners value other peoples’ work, and this is the real danger. I keep hoping that we’re at an inflection point of some sort, but I worry.
If you live anywhere nearby, perhaps you too should hop on your bike, or a bus, or get in your car, and come by my house to get a record. I’m not kidding.
For the rest of you though, know this: I have spent years working on The Bellows, and that fifteen year hiatus/diversion during which I made ambient noise music exclusively, something was gestating. I’m really proud of this record, and I’d really love if you took the time to listen closely and deeply, and shared it with your friends.
If you fell compelled to keep reading, you’ll find some advance press quotes, links to videos, thoughts about cover songs, etc…..
Mp3 Hugger writes: "There is depth to the playing, something of a post-rock quality. Emerge got its hooks into us straight away and remained. Jefferson's vocals have that degree of aura of them to match the instrumental approach. You'd have to put it down as evocative, in The National territory but for me operating with a bit more besides, because there is a swell of emotion to sweep us into a world of Jefferson Pitcher's own making. Brilliant. "
American Pancake Writes: “The full throttle abstractions, and vox populi freedom fists of "Cartpushers", by stalwart artist, singer-songwriter, musician Jefferson Pitcher, is so dramatically drawn that it feels like the theme of movie, one that might contain dark espionage, illegal nation building or real life revolutions for the betterment of people crushed by oppressive thumbs. There is so much sonic density and perfectly placed production embellishments on this track that makes its way into your head.
Last Day Deaf writes: “Jefferson Pitcher’s Cartpushers is an urgent, choppy ride through post punk textures and indie rock melancholy. With pounding drums, pulsing bass, and guitars that alternate between jagged aggression and shimmering melody, the track recalls the intensity of The National and Radiohead. Pitcher’s vocals cut through the storm delivering lines that feel both cryptic and deeply personal. As layers build into a lush, Smiths-like chorus, Cartpushers becomes more than a song-it’s a cinematic moment. A gripping preview of The Bellows, this one lingers long after the final note.”
Glide Magazine writes: “Pitcher’s latest is a complex yet welcoming listen with eerie undertones, but for every left-field melody, an air of familiarity keeps you safe. Whether from Pitcher’s warping vocals with their warm, quaint undertones or the way the subtle psychedelia from the guitars melts over the neck-breaking drums, there is something undeniably pure about “Cartpushers.” Despite its chaotic nature, Pitcher’s gothic approach does not have bells or whistles. Even the lyrics keep things simplistic yet potent, delivering vivid imagery while leaving room for the listener’s interpretation. “Cartpushers” showcases a veteran musician fearlessly experimenting with his sound as Pitcher creates a hectic yet blissful listen with sharp melodies and enough individuality to go around.”
The video is out for the lead single, Emerge | Rampike Rumour made by my dear friend Nico Protopappas his partner Anna Gichan and Ryland Zweifel, which premiered at Under the Radar a few days past, with the most excellent writing of Caleb Campbell; it always feels so, so good when a journalist listens and seems to really understand the intent of my work. And there are more videos for the songs on the record, which will drop as the weeks roll by. I’ve known Nico since he was ten years old and he feels more like family than a friend, a deeper connection that I can easily articulate. The video moved me to tears, for many reasons I suspect, but what a joy it has been to collaborate on something for the first time.
Meanwhile, I’ve been recoding live videos in my shop, playing interpretations of songs from The Bellows and some covers which I’ll sprinkle out in coming months as well. It all began because I was teaching a songwriting class in which I gave the assignment of covering a song that the students “do not like all that much.” I covered a Billie Eilish song (no offence Billie if you’re reading this…my daughter would be crushed by my admission) and enjoyed the process enough that I continued.
I’ve never really done covers before, aside from a few songs released on compilations decades past, (Outdoor Miner by Wire, and Tonight’s Decision (and hereafter) by Bonnie Prince Billie) and I feel pulled to maintain the practice. For now anyway. I have learned over the years to trust when an idea pulls me in a certain direction.
The thing that I keep reminding my students about recorded music, is that it isn’t so different from photography; we are trying to capture the essence of something ineffable, and the magic is often present on one take, and not another. Take two may have better pitch, or a better tempo or instrumentation, but take one just has something special. I have been reminded of this fact out in the shop as I record, deciding to keep the takes with little errors because they have some extra bit of humanity. This, to me, is what music is about more than anything else.
The first I posted was a cover of one of my favourite songs ever, the warm and delicately sad, Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, by The Smiths. I’ve dropped two live versions of Cartpushers, one made with Andrew Oedel and Kai Langelier at Ghost Hit Recording, the other a quieter take in my shop. If you’d like to see more, subscribe to my Youtube channel and you’ll know when the next appear. The first three are linked below.
Cartpushers live at Shumoto Soundroom
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want live at Shumoto Soundroom
I’m still lighting fires in the wood stove most mornings, and awoke today to a dusting of snow this morning; but I’m managing to get out for the occasional bike ride, listening to peepers along the way. The robins have been hopping in the yard and an owl woke me at 2:13 am last night. I was lost in that liminal space between wanting so badly to fall back asleep, and also wanting to rise from the bed. Go outside to listen and look. The freezing rain kept me under the covers.
Be well all, and if not to my music, carve out some time each week to listen deeply to someone’s organized sound. Trust me…it’s good for your health to light a candle, turn up the volume and just listen; to feel the music as much as you hear it. Listening is/should be an embodied experience and a thing that we do actively, not passively. As the saying goes, “you get what you give.”
