Josh Joplin, Among The Oak & Ash

From the venue:

ABOUT THE SHOW
The wait is over. Josh Joplin, one of the most striking songwriters and bandleaders of the early 21st century, is releasing his first full-length album in ten years. Figure Drawing, which will be released by Narrowmoat on May 1st, 2023, features eleven new compositions by Joplin and a sound that combines his roots in folk music and his past success as an indie-rocker without shortchanging either development.

This is the third album credited to Among the Oak & Ash, the name of Joplin’s folk-rock collective since 2009. Joining the lead singer-guitarist this time are Fats Kaplin (Jack White’s string wizard), Bryan Owings (Emmylou Harris’s drummer), Allen Broyles (longtime keyboardist for the Josh Joplin Group) and Wes Langlois (the guitarist who co-wrote two songs with Joplin).

The album’s title comes from Joplin’s other creative pursuit: drawing and painting. A montage of nudes from his sketchpad are featured in the album art, and the songs inside the cover reflect the same commitment to observation: paying close attention to something and trying to describe it in as few lines as possible. On this project, the subjects of that observation are restless travelers, aging idealists, ex lovers, long marriages, children, skeptical spiritual seekers, computers, flood victims, school shootings and especially the songwriter himself.