On Heartaches & Pine, the debut full-length from Philadelphia musician Joshua Curry, lush guitars and the occasional banjo or mandolin paint pictures of backroads and pensive autumn scenery. The lyricism is both picturesque and evocative while injecting doses of whimsy into the mix with lines like “I’m about to revisit my lunch, but that’s just a hunch“ and “I spent the night as a worm in a roach motel.”
It’s fitting, then, that the music video for the single “Sprig” would feature both the beautiful backdrop of the Jersey Pine Barrens and a dude in a pigeon mask chasing Curry down a trail. The video encapsulates exactly what makes Joshua Curry an artist to watch – there’s a deft blend of humor and emotion; an impressive mixture of pensive indie rock, vivid imagery, and offbeat humor. It’s like The Breeders with a bit of Father John Misty, or Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks blended with Bon Iver.
The video for “Sprig” was shot right down the road from where Curry grew up. “It’s a place that means a lot to me,” he says in a statement. “I’ve spent a lot of time out here hiking and meditating while working on Heartaches & Pine.” Once you know that the seeds of songs like “Sprig” were planted during walks through the Pinelands, it all makes sense – there truly is a naturalistic warmth and bluesy charm to the tracks on Heartaches & Pine that fit the setting. Don’t get what I mean? Go head out onto the Penn Branch trail out in Wharton State Forest with this playing in your headphones, and feel the sonic tenderness wrap around you while surrounded by the trees – you won’t regret it.
You can watch the video for “Sprig” below.
Joshua Curry has made quite a name for himself in the Philly music scene, having performed in bands like Grocer, Xoul Kool, screamcloud, and Super Capsule – as well as Brooklyn based psychedelic Americana group Futurist. In fact, many members from these groups can be heard on Heartaches & Pine, with features from the likes of Joseph Campanella (Futurist, Super Capsule), Danielle Lovier (screamcloud, Grocer), Jason Loux (Xoul Kool), and more. Grocer’s Nicholas Rahn recorded and mixed the album at Cash4Gold Studios, and he also provides backing guitars and vocals on select tracks. “It is a solo album, but I knew from the onset I wanted to involve as many friends as possible,” Curry says. “It really did help us stay connected through the past year.”
And, to celebrate the release of the music video, Curry will be performing at Ortlieb’s in Philly on June 16th with Snake Formation and The Wudshed. Doors open at 7PM and the show starts at 8PM, so if you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to swing by.
Subscribe to Joshua Curry on Youtube, follow him on Instagram, listen to “Sprig” on Spotify, and be sure to give Heartaches & Pine a listen and support it on bandcamp.