Americana Highways presents this premiere stream of Josh King’s album The Shed, due to be available this Friday. The album was produced by Josh King; mixed by Josh King and Mark Brown.
Tapping into the therapeutic aspects of music for both the player and the listener, Josh King’s album The Shed is a gift by any definition this season. The fact that it was actually recorded in his shed adds another layer of appeal.
When quarantine began, I instantly lost all of my work and became a full-time stay at home dad. It allowed me to spend lots of time with my daughter, but also gave me a dangerous amount of down time. It was really hard not to get beat down by all of the evil things going on in the world. This record ended up being my therapy, helping me reconnect with old friends (extra-socially distanced!) and focus my energy in a more positive direction. I hope these songs can help listeners find some comfort in these crazy times as well.
The intro and outro are from a recording on an old cassette tape we found while cleaning out my grandmother’s house. It’s my grandfather singing and playing piano, but no one in the family recognizes the song or can say when it was recorded. I tried to include artists on this album that have influenced and inspired me throughout the years. My grandfather was the first.
“Man on TV” was recorded a few weeks into the stay-at-home order and was the first song I recorded in my shed. I recorded the song and sent it to Jack Foster from House of Fools in Nashville. He added drums, and then I sent it to Joel Kiser from House of Fools who added electric guitar. Then I reached out to a few of my favorite local musicians who recorded their vocals remotely. I wanted it to be a “We Are the World” style gang vocal with a “We’re All Gonna Die” vibe, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. While this isn’t a “quarantine-themed” record, this song damn sure is. — Josh King
1 thought on “Album Premiere: Josh King “The Shed””