Joe Nolan - Drifters (2020)

Joe Nolan's Drifters is ten songs of longing, wanderlust and lost love. He's been heralded by No Depression and the Globe and Mail as a roots rock wunderkind; in the past year he's played over 175 shows across North America and six European countries; he's signed with Mongrel Music Agency (Chuck Prophet, Lake Street Dive); and his work has earned accolades including the Cobalt Prize for songwriting at the 2018 Maple Blues Awards. I wanted to keep it as stripped down as possible, Nolan says. We recorded most of it to my Tascam 2-track reel-to-reel in an attempt to make something that resembled the sounds of my favorite records from the '70s with that real warm tape sound and vibe. I also have always wanted to collaborate with guitarist Kevin Breit [Norah Jones] and he graciously added some beautiful touches to this album. In the past, Nolan has stated that his definition of rock 'n roll is an artist letting their heart bleed on and off stage, without any fear. There's probably no better way to describe Drifters, as on it Nolan once again demonstrates a willingness to venture deeply into the dark corners of his psyche. He may be categorized as a roots artist, but Nolan never wants that tag to define him completely. By drawing inspiration from vintage rock 'n roll, blues, country and punk, he intends to keep pushing boundaries with every record he makes.