When I lived in Baghdad by the Bay in the 90s, one of the most fun ways to spend the evening was dancing & grooving to the band Paddlefoot. Paddlefoot was a phenomenon—a group with a whole lot of talent & energy & just flat-out rocking Americana goodwill. Joel Murach played bass, sang & wrote songs, & he's kept his music going since Paddlefoot disbanded in the late 90s. He's played in 86 & the Low Rollers (the back-up band that was formed for his third cd), & has also issued three solo albums & is working on a fourth. You can find links to purchase his albums on his website right here. Joel Murach is an accomplished musician & songwriter—also a heckuva nice guy—& I’m very happy that he’s agreed to participate in the Homegrown Radio project. I know you folks are going to like his music.
Let’s see what Joel has to say about his first song, “I was born in California.”
First, thanks for having me on Homegrown Radio. It has been a slow year for me musically, so I am happy to be here.
The first line of "I was born in California" came to me years ago. I liked this line because it's true, it felt right for me, and it has a nice internal rhyme in it. When I tried to write the second line, the rest of the song just sort of spilled out. Actually, so many lines spilled out that I had to prune them back to what I give you here. Most of these lines are also true, feel right to me, and have some nice internal rhymes. I hope you like the song!
After years of not having a good home recording system, I have finally got Pro Tools system set up on my computer with a couple of cheap but decent microphones. So that's what I'm using for these Homegrown demos. I think they sound better than any demo recordings I have ever made.
You’re welcome, Joel! & yes—good sound, good song—I’m sure you folks will enjoy it!
Nice! A bit of a Neil Young vibe there, only it's California rather than Canada. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteHi Roy: I was thinking of you when I listened to this yesterday & thinking you might like it quite well. Joel has a lot of talent & is doing good stuff these days.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear the traditional values so well represented. A simple pick, a high/wide/lonesome voice and a timeless sense of place.
ReplyDeleteHi Dick: Yes, I think the song's directness & apparent simplicity are real strengths. Glad you liked it.
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