Earlier this year, local singer-songwriter legend Pokey LaFarge鈥檚 sixth studio album, 鈥�,鈥� dropped. He鈥檚 been going ever since. Recently completing a U.S. and a European tour across three continents, he鈥檚 barely had a chance to catch his breath.
鈥淚 think I have moved into a new definition of pleasant exhaustion,鈥� LaFarge said on Friday鈥檚 鈥淐ityscape.鈥� 鈥淚 just got in at 3:30 this morning from Nashville.鈥�
Luckily, he鈥檒l have a chance to take a break in 2016, after performing a with other local acts, the River Kittens and the Hooten Hollers. He said he鈥檒l only be performing 50 shows in 2016, about a third to a quarter of his normal tour load, in order to take some time to write and record his next album.
Featuring drums on every song and new sorts of harmonies, LaFarge said that 鈥淪omething in the Water鈥� was a step in the right direction toward where he wanted to see the next album. While he couldn鈥檛 reveal much of what will be included in the next album, it is sure to stay well outside the lines of traditional music labels.
"I see myself more as a composer, more of a songwriter, and that means I could write any kind of song and should be allowed to perform any kind of song because it will be me, and because I evolve, things are going to change very much."
LaFarge鈥檚 music style has been called everything from blues and swing to American folk to 鈥渞etro,鈥� whatever that means.
鈥淭he reason why I try to shy away from labels is because it is the interpretation that people get from those labels鈥攊t is a certain lack of understanding or exposure to those genres 鈥� it could cause someone to write the music off entirely based on one genre,鈥� LaFarge said. 鈥淚 see myself more as a composer, more of a songwriter, and that means I could write any kind of song and should be allowed to perform any kind of song because it will be me, and because I evolve, things are going to change very much.鈥�
One of the biggest steps in LaFarge鈥檚 evolution this year was a chance to perform for the first time in his career.
鈥淭hat was one that did make the family proud,鈥� LaFarge said. 鈥淚 was honored to be on that stage and be the guy from the family that got to do the Opry. My grandma, she鈥檚 not really with it anymore, unfortunately, but that鈥檚 what she always wanted me to do, to be on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.鈥�
Here are three songs to take you out:
Something in the Water
Wanna Be Your Man
Goodbye, Barcelona
鈥淐ityscape鈥� is produced by , , and Kelly Moffitt. The show is sponsored in part by the , the , and the .
