photo credit: Christopher Vincent
Contact
- Daniel Gill at Force Field PR
[email: daniel@forcefieldpr.com]
Bio
Since arriving in Montreal six years ago, Paul Jacobs has cemented a growing reputation as one of the city’s truly wild, eccentric artists, both as the drummer of Pottery and through fronting his own six-piece band. He’s known for creating multiple albums annually that served as companion pieces to his live performances. A rocker, a painter, a hardworking stagehand, animator and a DIY home studio wizard, the Windsor, Ontario native has thrilled sweaty audiences in his adopted hometown with his infamously raw live gigs. As amazing as his shows are, his aches and bruises the next morning aren’t so great. Performing live for over a decade with every ounce of rage and energy that he has, Jacobs is now ready to reveal a new, technicolour side of his songwriting. Following a prolific run of garage rock releases, Pink Dogs on the Green Grass, his expansive upcoming album mastered by Oliver Ackermann of A Place To Bury Strangers, will be out on Blow the Fuse Records later this year.
After spending time in a conventional studio environment with Pottery, Jacobs went back to the familiar: recording at home. His Rosemont apartment might be cramped, but it’s cozy enough to keep the creative juices flowing yet large enough to hold his drum kit, keyboards, a computer and even congas for keeping his hands from being idle. As one can hear on Pink Dogs on the Green Grass, it was the perfect, warm environment to delve into ultra-catchy grooves and spaced-out ballads. From the Tame Impala-tinged opener Christopher Robbins (written by Paul on bongos) to psychedelic oddities like Dancing with the Devil and Cherry (an ode to the colour red) to the stunning Alice-in-Wonderland-like acoustic song Underneath The Roses, Pink Dogs on the Green Grass is an album that is both wonderfully diverse and delightfully cohesive.
Although he went back to his old way of recording, Jacobs did something he’s never done before with this new album: he took a moment to breathe. A fan of outré mid-fi rock n’ roll stars like Cass McCombs and Kurt Vile, he decided to take a step back and think about not only the kinds of music he loves to play, but also the music he loves to listen to at home. He then came to the realization that if you want to make music that’s truly timeless, you might as well take your time.
The songwriting on Pink Dogs on the Green Grass was inspired by those unwanted moments in life that stick with you, such as unexpected encounters and bizarre situations that repeat themselves in your dreams. After wanting for a long time to marry his love of psychedelic, timeless studio recordings with his independent, rebellious indie spirit, Jacob’s apartment studio allowed him to use acoustic drums and to explore with more organic sounds. Although the creation process – of writing, working on over 40 half-finished demos and recording – took over Jacob’s life for a while, the album is a refined 13-track collection of ageless, yet modern melodies inspired by folk acts past and present, with a twist of current technologies and topics.
For every musical project, Paul Jacobs writes, performs, records and mixes all the music, always accompanied by his personal animations and artwork. This time, he returns with all that, but also with a deeply personal record on which he opens up about his experience in life, with hints of folk, pop, rock and psychedelia.
Current Release
Paul Jacobs
Pink Dogs on the Green Grass
(Blow the Fuse Records)
Street Date: April 30, 2021
Track List:
1. Christopher Robbins
2. Day to Day
3. Half Rich Loner
4. Most Delicious Drink
5. Cherry
6. Everything’s Fine
7. Underneath the Roses
8. Dancing With the Devil
9. Glory Days, Yesterday
10. Kathy’s Bible
11. Your Last Words
12. The Boys are Back
13. Hello Sunshine
Photos (click for hi-res)
photo credit: (1-3) Christopher Vincent