Joe Kaplow “Tunnel Vision”
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Joe Kaplow’s song “Tunnel Vision” from his forthcoming album Posh, Poodle, Krystal and Toe. The album was recorded at the OK Theater in Enterprise, Oregon with engineer Bart Budwig and also at Joe Kaplow’s home studio. The tracks were taken in and crafted during the recording, an approach which captures the enthusiasm and honest, inventive feel. The record was mixed at Vin Christopher’s studio, Heavy Meadow, in Portland, Oregon.
“Tunnel Vision” is Joe Kaplow on vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, and percussion; Elliot Kay on bass and backing vocals; Rob Armenti on electric guitar and backing vocals; and Jeff Wilson on drums and percussion. This song confronts the fears of mortality we all live with daily, while having to function nonetheless with mundane elements and having to exercise control over … something. With Joe’s unique higher register vocals this keeps you on alert and then when you hone in on the words the tension continues right through the breakout, cathartic rock ‘n roll. And it’s all carried along on his voice. But at least we’re all in this together. “I like to keep in control, my shoes are organized according to the size… oh no it happened again in the middle of the night…I know that it ends.”
My first memory was realizing that one day I was going to die. Still to this day, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night gasping for breath, grasped by mortality and paralyzed with terror. I imagine the great void; the loss of self, memory, and warmth. I love my life and I love living, but I know that it ends. Writing “Tunnel Vision” was my way of coping with this underlying fear. I think it’s fear in general. All life carries an underbelly of fear. This song was written as a mellow acoustic number and then became one of our fuzziest, hardest ‘rocking’ songs. It toes that line in a way I love: intimate yet expansive. Even though we’re playing hard, you can tell I’m a folkie at heart. Also, shout out to my man T.S. Eliot! – Joe Kaplow
Find the music here: https://orcd.co/qbzy37b