New EP: THE ABLE SEAMEN, VOL. 1

It is one of those rare, unplanned EPs. It started when a friend said he'd come over next Saturday. Then we thought it might be funny to sing a couple sea shanties when he came out. Then we thought we'd invite a couple other old friends to join. Then, when they actually said yes, Bryan went all-in and decided that he'd write original shanties for the occasion. By the time Saturday night came around, we had four new originals and a few hours to kill. Nobody had heard anything before they arrived. The result is sloppy, funny, pitchy, heartfelt and really exactly what makes a sea shanty special. They are for the voices of average working men, and last Saturday that's what we were.

As for the songs themselves, they pull on themes that are traditional to the genre and on the surface hopefully they are playful and enjoyable. But as you dive a little deeper, The Captain's Gone Mad may remind you of the frustration of not trusting the captain at the helm (read the news these days, anyone?). No Land for Me is an expression of frustration about a broader system that doesn't feel like it works for the worker. Glitter and Glow is a morality story about the cost of greed. The average listener may never hear more than a few dudes goofing off--and they were!--but what one says with a smile and a wink doesn't make it any less sincere.

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