In the realm of eclectic musical expression, Average Joey stands out as a troubadour extraordinaire, seamlessly weaving tales of human experience through his multifaceted artistry. With roots grounded in the vibrant Pittsburgh punk scene and nurtured by the raw energy of busking during his travels, Average Joey's musical journey has been nothing short of adventurous.
His latest offering, "Impermanence," transcends the confines of conventional genre labels, embracing a diverse array of influences to craft a sonic tapestry that is both hauntingly beautiful and poignantly thought-provoking. From the plaintive strums of banjo-driven folk to the dark, theatrical ambiance of orchestral arrangements, Joey traverses a vast musical landscape with effortless grace. We sat down with him learn more about the inner workings of the album, his journey so far and much, much more, exclusively for FLEX. Check it out below!
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Can you tell us about your musical background and how you transitioned from busking during your travels to becoming a troubadour songwriter and musician?
I didn't start playing music until I was 20 years old. I was mostly writing poetry, short stories, and doing stand up comedy. When I discovered a genre of music that gave a sort of allowance to an "amateur" sound, I started writing songs and singing them on an acoustic guitar. I had no idea how to write or sing songs, but that didn't stop me! That year I got a banjo as a Christmas gift (because I've always been a huge fan of steve martin's comedy), and started playing that. Through a series of circumstances and/or miracles, I started hitting the road, and playing banjo more than I was doing anything else, really. So, traveling and busking were foundational to my musical upbringing. Traveling and touring continue to be the driving force behind my desire to play music.
The setting of a live show, especially when it's a show that curates an environment of connection and openness and exchange with an audience, is what I am seeking most in creating music. The ritual of a show, coming together with people, relating to them, being vulnerable and met in that vulnerability, singing together, sharing in grief and joy - that's what I'm after. I want to be a good songwriter in service of that. I could probably stand to practice my instruments more, though.
Your music encompasses a wide range of influences, from storytelling folk songs to politically charged stringband music. How do you draw inspiration from these diverse genres, and how does it translate into your unique sound?
One of the great benefits to being a traveling musician is being exposed constantly to a wide variety of inspiring art and music. The feeling I was alluding to above, I can get that from a lot of different places. I get it from playing old-time at Clifftop, I get it singing shanties around a campfire, I get it in a mosh pit, I get it listening to politically radical hip hop. So, that desire and impulse to connect to an artist, to relate to an experience comes pretty natural - and can be found regardless of what form that expression is taking. I get pretty eclectic in how I try to say what I'm trying to say, both because of all the different inspirations and because sometimes I want to relay a particular message to a particular audience. Having access to a wide variety of outlets for that can be helpful.
Congratulations on your new album, you're quite the prolific songwriter! How does "Impermanence" feel in comparison to your other records?
Thanks! I think it's my favourite thing I've ever made! (I guess artists are "supposed" to feel that about their latest thing, but I mean it when I say that) I really worked hard on this album, both musically and lyrically, but also in trying to present a full piece, something that goes together and tells a story and connects some dots. I definitely have previous albums that take on that same "wider scope" (Shanda), but this feels like the furthest I've developed an idea and allowed it to play out.
Some albums have just been genre-bound, and that's okay too! I think it's fun to make a record sticking to a particular sound and seeing what comes out of that process (there will be a full band poppy punk record sometime in the near future, then an average joey hip hop album some day too). But this one felt more married to an idea and feel and telling a story than to a particular genre or sound.
Current favourite song on the album?
Tough question! I've been digging "No Thing" lately. I think the production quality and the guest musicians performances on that song are so so good.
Can you share with us some insights into the musical evolution showcased on "Impermanence," particularly the shift from banjo-driven folk to a darker, more theatrical sound featuring heavy piano elements?
As I alluded to above, this album is exploring a wide range of pretty dark, complicated, freaky and absurd topics. So, I tried to make the music dark, freaky, and absurd! Where as sometimes writing songs that make more sense in the idea or message they're trying to convey make more sense in the genre-window-dressing of a stringband tune or country crooner, these ideas seemed best conveyed in an erratic, haunted, frantic, and solemn collection of weird stuff.
As a touring artist, you've traveled extensively across the DIY folk and punk circuit, including self-booked tours in Europe and Canada. What have been some of the most memorable experiences from your tours, and how have they influenced your artistic journey?
Like I said before, traveling and touring are inextricable from my experience as an artist. They feel one in the same, so trying to distinguish how they've "influenced" me is hard to answer. Those experiences are why I am the way I am!
The exposure to the DIY scene, the ethos that run it, the inspirational art, activism, music, community, resource sharing, status quo questioning, organising has all built both my musical and personal framework. Europe was particularly inspirational, I'll say, just because the punks there really organize hard, and in a way that isn't about fashion but is about trying to put a shoulder to the wheel of power and shift some dynamics. They are, I think, more prone to this simply because they're less influenced by the hyper-individualistic culture we have in the states. But, the squatting and punk communities of Europe really restructured what I considered possible as far as community building, and using music as a tool for that. They also just have more general respect for the musician as a real person who is contributing something rather than just a bum or a hobbyist.
In addition to your music career, you're also a political writer. How do your political beliefs and activism intersect with your music, and do you see them influencing each other in any way?
Almost all of the songs that I write are "political" in nature, in one way or another. Sometimes that takes the form of a particular story that puts on display the alienation of modern capitalist political subjects. Other times it's me explicitly encouraging people to shoplift from corporations. Sometimes it is deeply laden with metaphor and freaky imagery, other times it's my stage banter encouraging the audience to sing together, because singing together is a tool we can use to keep eachother afloat in a society that is threatening to our humanity and antithetical to our basic needs. The writing I do that is not musical (poetry, zines, political theory) is helpful, because sometimes I can't say what I want to say within the confines of a song structure. So, this allows for me to get that stuff out and wrestle with it intellectually in a way that isn't a performance and can be a bit more nuanced and detailed.
But, everything I do, I hope is pushing back against a capitalist ideology that is destroying our planet, threatening our relationships, making survival nearly impossible, alienating us from ourselves and each other, and enriching a small number of people at the cost of the immiseration, exploitation, and poverty of billions (not to mention non-human ecosystems).
I'm trying to write a book now. I won't bore you with the details here, but I've never done that and it's intimidating!
Finally, what message or emotions do you hope listeners experience when they listen to your music, particularly your latest album "Impermanence"?
I want folks to feel like they're not alone, and to internalise that it is not their fault that they're feeling isolated, anxious, defeated, stressed. These are the results of systematic social, economic, and cultural structures so deeply embedded that we're often totally unaware of them. We're scared about the future, we're ashamed of the past. We recognise things are getting harsher, crazier. We feel like we need answers to questions that are unanswerable. We feel like we need to square the circle of contradictions that cannot be solved. I feel that too, so many people do.
So, we can relate on that level. I want to impart that connecting with other people, being vulnerable, being messy and imperfect, but accepting that in ourselves and others in that is a redemptive act. Love is a redemptive act even if we are doomed. That is part of what I want to say in this record, and in general. I don't think any of us can make certain predictions about the future, and I know that's scary. But, I think we can still maintain our humanity no matter what happens. I think we can go out swinging and singing.
Listen to "Impermanence" in full here:
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