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New Album: Rob Joass

‘New Album’ is where a band or artist answers some questions about their latest release. Up next is Rob Joass, who has just released his third album ‘Pencarrow’.

When/where was the new album recorded?
Drum and bass tracks were recorded at Audiosuite in Kapiti August 2018 with Ross McDermott engineering. I then moved to my home studio (Mad Dog studios, in honour of my 2 german shepherds) where tracking and first run mixing was done over the next 3 or so months.

Who produced/engineered the album? How did the tracks come together in the studio, or at home?
I self produce. I like to grow songs in my home studio, and experiment with guitar parts,vocals and other arrangement ideas as I go. I also mix as I go, as to me these things are all interrelated. I then went to my old friend Andrew Downes (we used to co-own a recording studio together called Mediate Recording) at his Home-Run Studio in Miramar where we did final touches on the mixes. Andrew also mastered it.

How did the songwriting happen? Are there any overall themes within the songs/album?
I write fairly constantly, so these are essentially my favourites of the last few years, and I’ve also rearranged an old song (‘Baggage’) and covered a Paul Kelly song that I’ve always loved. There’s no overriding theme to the album but I did want it to have more love, hope and redemption than my last album (Black and White).

Were you going for a different sound/approach on this album?
Following on from my last answer, ‘Black and White was’ a break-up album that was very stripped back and intimate. Sound-wise I was thinking Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska for that one. This time I wanted to be more expansive. I have a great band now – Hamish Graham on drums, Murray Costello on Bass and Alan Norman on Keys, and they’re all over the new album. I also played more electric guitar on this one.

Was there any specific gear you used to capture that?
So, My Gretsch and Reverend electric guitars feature, as well as my Martin acoustic. Studio wise I I used a Focusrite ASA 1 mic pre on most things, and I’m fond of the Waves Abby Road Plates reverbs. They’re all over it. Nice, natural and lush.

Is there a particular single/track that you feel captures the essence of the album?
Not really – the album is quite varied, in a typical singer songwriter sense. I’d probably point you at the title track, ‘Pencarrow’, which in it’s way is an atypical song for me. It started life as an instrumental, then I added some words. It starts out with a single guitar and builds into the full band. I wanted the album to be relevant to both my solo performances and when I play with the band, so I guess Pencarrow does capture that.

Is there a physical copy available? If not which digital platforms is it available on?
I will have CD’s available and it will be available to download and stream from all the usual sources. [Bandcamp here].

Are you working on a video/videos for any of the songs? Are you doing any gigs or promotion for its release?
I released Souvenir from the album as a single a couple of months ago, and there is a lyric video to go with that. And yes, I’ll be touring. Starting with Raumati and Wellington with The Small Mercies [Raumati Social Club & The Third Eye], then South Island shows as a duo with Hamish during March, and then some solo shows in Sydney and Auckland in April and May. Details for those also on my Website.


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