Overcoming the sophomore slump
July 16th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Benjamin Del Shreve
Benjamin Del Shreve knows this is an important record for he and the band that carries his name.
The group’s debut recording, “Brilliant & Charming,” was released in late 2007 and met praise. Songs from that recording found their way radios here locally and as far away as Australia.
Then came weeks (and months) on the road in support of that record. The band estimates they performed more than 500 gigs in the past two years. It almost came at the expense of their collective sanity.
The band’s second album, “Sleeping Sweetly,” which will be released Saturday (July 17) at George’s Majestic Lounge, address some of that.
Del Shreve says the album serves as a personal journal of sorts. It talks about long nights after long days, and, in the title track, feeling creative.
The track is called “Sleeping Sweetly,” but Del Shreve tells me in a story published today in What’s Up! [Note: subscriber only content at the link] that the song is about not being able to rest because of all the thoughts flooding your mind.
It’s that kind of driving attitude that pervades Del Shreve and company. They want this second album to prove to fans that they’ve still got what it takes and that the three years spent on the road between the release of the last album and this offering were well spent. Del Shreve believes “Sleeping Sweetly” will keep old fans happy and win over new ones along the way.
The album was also a bit of a respite. The band’s last public performance in Northwest Arkansas was at a New Year’s Eve party. The group took time off to re-energize and to finish the recording process.
The CD, recording with Adam Putman of Insomniac Studios, contains 13 tracks, and I got an exclusive listen this weekend as the band prepared for Saturday’s party.
If you want to hear the new tracks, you can catch them at George’s. The show begins at 8 p.m. and includes support from ROTC and Randall Shreve, brother to Benjamin Del Shreve. Admission is $8, and you can get tickets in advance, if you prefer.
If you’d like a taste of the new tracks, you can listen to the song below. The song is “Now That She Knows”:
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We’ll see you at the show.