Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

Tomorrow Josh Ritter will release his very much anticipated 5th album: So Runs the World Away.

An email in my inbox, a link to download a few songs of Josh Ritter’s album to be released… Believe it or not but after the first song I was left speechless.  I already knew Josh and appreciated his way of interpreting folk music but this record was something new, so new that I could not even find words to describe it.

 

It took him 15 months to write, compose and record this masterpiece. More than a turning point in Ritter’s career, this N°5 album defy categorization, “So Runs the World Away marks the beginning of a new period in my life, I am not a kid anymore” (Josh Ritter). According to Josh, this album was the most difficult one is has ever made. It required him to go deep inside his soul, to analyse his feeling, in a word to be true to himself. 

After his last record Historical Conquests he was in need of a pause. Although he had achieved a lot in 10 years as a songwriter, was living the life he had always dreamed of, he had lost his drive. Surprisingly enough it is because of this feeling of emptiness, that he entered a phase of contemplation.  Something had to happen inside Josh, he had to meet again with himself. He had worked so much, produced great pieces, run miles around, performed in various places. But it was time for him to go back home…Luckily he did not have to wait too long before a story “ dropped from some apple tree down on my sleepless head”. From then, he wrote, wrote and wrote again compulsively. From having nothing to say, to too much for an album he chose to continue his narration via another media: a book. So Runs the World Away could be the memories of a globetrotter. Influenced by his touring bandmates (Zack Hickman, Austin Nevins and Liam Hurley), some initial songs have been altered a few times before being fixed on the record.The four long time friends were on the same wavelength to explore love, risk, and infinity with no safety gate.

They take us on a singular journey so stop for a moment and listen to some melody that tell something new each time you press play like an ever-evolving incarnation.

 

So Runs the World Away will be out on 4th May 2010, a USA tour will follow the day after and will end mid-July, for more information visit: www.sackso.com

 

Sources: www.sackso.com, http://www.npr.org

 

Text by Delphine Hervieu

TAGS: dolce&gabbana d&g josh ritter new album folk music sam kassirer so runs the world away pytheas recordings zack hickman austin nevins liam hurley sacksco.com