Check out the new single from Boise-based Jonathan Warren and The Billy Goats. The band describe their sound as, “…progressive, psychobilly folk-grass,” which sums up their blend of styles and adventurous approach. ‘Talk About My Doubt’ is brilliantly rhythmic, with layers of instrumentation providing the foundation for singer and songwriter Jonathan Warren to deliver an excellent, distinctive vocal performance. The Ella Smith-directed video is cleverly put together to create an absorbing narrative that enhances the song.
‘Talk About My Doubt’ is the first single from the new album ‘Gruff’. Warren says of the challenging process of creating the new record: “This album came about by grace, perseverance and luck. I decided to name the record ‘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. Struggles with anxiety, depression, and self-doubt were often obstacles in beginning the process of writing and performing music again”
Warren rediscovered the energy and passion the band had possessed in their early days. Along the way, he also learned when to let go of a song, being ready to release it without overthinking it. He explains: “In the process of recording, I’ve realised that the outcome will never be perfect. Each recording is just a snapshot of a song, a small moment in time captured that will never be performed in that exact way again. I believe that each time we play a song it evolves, however subtly, into something different. There is always slight changes that can be made, the dynamics, the instrumental length, the melody of the solo, or the vocal phrasing that can be improved or added to make a song different.” Suffering from writers’ block, Warren had to dig ever deeper into himself: “I 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.” The end result is a collection of songs that celebrate the power and range of emotions that relate to love. Looking for something a little different? Check this out.
