[Editor’s note: Irish-based singer-songwriter Podge Lane released his late album Multiple Dead Ends on August 30. Below, he filmed a session for our Water Tower Sessions series and penned an essay describing his experience filming the session and why he picked those songs. Make sure to check out our premiere of his song “My House” and essay explaining its inspiration. You can check out Podge’s session and others at our YouTube page.]
I love nature, always have. My grandad is a fisherman so I would spend a lot of my time around water and trees, still do. I also love watching music played in fields or on grass. I especially remember as a kid watching Shakey Graves sing “Big Time Nashville Star” on a bench outside a festival by the cold wet grass. One of the coolest things I’d ever seen. Still is.
So when picking somewhere to do this session, it had to be outside. You can hear nearby parties and the mic stopped working halfway through causing two cuts in the video, but it really wouldn’t be a Podge Lane production without technical malfunctions and delays due to older equipment. Still, in (nearly) one take, outside, with distractions a plenty, I’m so happy with how this session came out.
The first song of this set was “This Is Not What I Was Promised,” the third single from my new album Multiple Dead Ends. I know I explain the songs in the sessions, but for extra context this song came about from a genuine panic attack while listening to Burt Bacharach’s greatest hits, as well as some serious Avett Brothers, Eric Church and Jeff Rosenstock music binging sessions. I always sponge off the music I listen to while trying to create something wholly unique and I feel like this song is a perfect example because without the frame of reference into my listening habits, its an odd song to pin down.
I like playing “Phobophobia” and “The Problem With Everything,” both are off my new record, as one continuous narrative live. They feel like different ends to the same thought. “Phobophobia” is paranoid anger towards the problems in the world, whereas “The Problem With Everything” feels like the same author dusting for fingerprints on the scene of the previous song. In that way I’m like Columbo, just without the charm, skills or network TV syndication.
“Down” was the first song released from Multiple Dead Ends, coinciding with a massive tour that still hasn’t ended, playing amazing venues in the UK and Ireland, and supporting artists I have always admired along the way. I love playing music more than words can explain. And with this album being brand new, I am so excited for everyone to hear these songs live, in concert or on YouTube. The Scummy Water Tower session series is such an amazing way to cap off the beginning of this albums life in the world. In nature, amongst the trees, and readily making me excited to go back fishing.
Contributor
Podge is an New York City-based, Ireland native, alt-country, singer-songwriter and avid hyphen collector (a joke Podge usually makes on stage about all the hyphen references he gets such as singer-songwriter)
