This is a bittersweet post for me to write, and here’s why: two of the Radical Folksonomy’s founding members, keyboardist Erika Oba and singer Jay Thompson, are departing from the group in April. I cannot describe the immense gratitude I feel towards both of them for having been a huge part of my musical vision for the past year and a half. Not only did their talents add a great deal to my songs, but I think their presence elevated my own musicianship and helped me to build more confidence as a performer. Thank you, Erika and Jay.
The ‘sweet’ part of the post starts here. First of all, the Radical Folksonomy will definitely continue, perhaps as a rock and roll four-piece, perhaps adding someone new to fill the sound out. I think we’ll see what seems right when that time actually comes. Meanwhile, the current group just spent this last President’s Day weekend recording…A NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM!!! I know, you already knew that from the post title, but I’m excited about it fer chrissakes! Way I figured, we had all these songs in our current repertoire that aren’t on the EP, and I wanted to make sure we captured the ladies’ contributions to them. Here is the track listing for the album (in no particular order just yet):
- Red Balloon
- You’re A Fox
- Wikipedia Brown
- If My Love
- Holy Rock & Roll
- Sunken Treasure
- This Heart Is Not A Home
- Nothing, I Just Love You Is All
- No Second Thoughts (Tom Petty cover)
Here is the best way I can describe my excitement: our EP The Once & Future Boyfriend was my baby, and I love it. And I did not expect to get pregnant again so soon, but life doesn’t always give you warning. So now there’s another baby on the way and I can’t wait! And it’s a full-length baby, a nine-song, forty-some-odd-minutes long baby, not like my first baby, who was only six-songs and twenty-five minutes, but whom I love very much anyway.
So yeah, we’re almost done with all the tracking, and it sounds incredible. I would say it’s somewhat more eclectic than Boyfriend; it goes harder towards the rock side of things with fully electric songs like “Holy Rock & Roll” and “Sunken Treasure”, but it’s also got more quiet folksy stuff, like “If My Love”, “Red Balloon” and “This Heart Is Not A Home”. I play electric guitar on four songs, which was really fun, and even do a little soloing in there! Mind you, I’m no Guy Brown, but I can pick a lick or two.
So when does it drop? April 9, my friends, April 9! At the Hotel Utah once again! No better place to release a disc. Still working on putting the whole lineup together, but you better believe it’s gonna kill! Mark your calendars! Saturday, April 9!
Alright lovelies, off to bed with me.
Amina Shareef Ali 