How is the new record different from your previous work?
JF: My first record of demos that I recorded in college was pretty rough. I graduated school a few years ago, saved up my money and put my all into this new one.
One element that made a huge difference was working with my producer, Tom Acousti. Tom teaches songwriting and shared a lot with me about the craft, so I dove into the songwriting process and really enjoyed it. Everything I worked for during my whole life went into the making of this record.
We tracked most of the players up here in Maine and got some of the best local musicians to play on it. From there, Tom went to Nashville to track what isn’t as accessible up here, like steel guitar, Dobro and fiddle. Tom lived in Nashville for years and moved back to Maine a few years ago, so he had some connections. I’ve spent time in Nashville, and I feel that the influences of the area really became evident on the “Day.” I love the Americana style that developed down there, and I wanted those sounds to come through on the record.
Also, performing nonstop as a soloist has really helped to improve the way I play. I’ve been gigging for two or three years, doing about – shows a year. I haven’t had a day job for most of that time and I give private lessons when I’m not playing, so I’m constantly playing music.
How is your performance different live than on records?
JF: To me, my music is all about the songwriting. That is why when I play live, I play completely solo, and I enjoy that connection with the audience.
On the new record, I played most of the instruments by myself, but there were several times when we used the brilliant players from Maine and Nashville to help fill out songs. Since I do not have that same instrumentation here in Maine, it would be difficult to exactly replicate the sound of the record.
After you complete touring to support the new album, what horizons do you hope to explore?
JF: I learned how to use Pro Tools (a music production platform) while making this album, so I am eager to try my hand at using that a bit more. But other than that, I am focusing on songwriting and making a living through music. I hope my music allows me to travel more and receive more recognition and opportunities.
Email William Earl at williamjearl@gmail.com.
FMI on Joe Farren, including audio clips and tour dates, visit www.joefarren.com. “Til The Day” is now available through Farren’s website, www.cdbaby.com, at local Bull Moose Music stores and is available for download on iTunes.