Strand of Oaks, Apex Manor

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Alysse Gafkjen

Strand of Oaks: Timothy Showalter

Timothy Showalter is the heir to John Mellencamp’s throne as the greatest Hoosier rock star. An Indiana native, the musician behind Strand of Oaks creates expansive, populist heartland rock that’s both accessible and brainy (impressive, given that one generally needs to be sacrificed to make way for the other). His latest, Eraserland, is a hazy return to Showalter’s roots that features a guest appearance by the king of Americana himself, Jason Isbell, as well as most of My Morning Jacket. With Apex Manor.

$20 ($18 adv.; ages 18+).

press release: The latest Strand of Oaks single is “Ruby.” “Ruby is the happiest song I've ever written,’ says Showalter. “Ruby isn't a person, rather the concept of time and memory and how with every passing year it becomes non linear. In the past I would've dismissed such unabashedly pure optimism, but I've been through a lot and I've learned to appreciate those rare moments of light.” The companion video features unearthed Showalter family footage. “This past year my little brother Jon spent countless hours trying to convert my family's collection of home movies. Somehow my dad in 1988 got a camera with ‘Buick Points’ and then proceeded to have a side career as world-class cinematographer.”

On Eraserland, Showalter is backed by My Morning Jacket members Carl Broemel, Bo Koster, Patrick Hallahan and Tom Blankenship, who played a crucial role in the making of the album. The album also features Jason Isbell. It was produced by Kevin Ratterman and recorded at La La Land Studios in Louisville, Kentucky. Eraserland is available for pre-order and the die cut, double LP will be available on limited cloudy white vinyl.

Writer-producer Timothy Showalter has always used the highs and lows of his own life as the source material for his gut punching rock songs. Each of his experiences examined, mediated on and crafted into confessional albums for the world to share. The therapeutic experience of making art this way was often short lived, leading Showalter to bouts of depression and after 2017’s Hard Love, he found himself spent. Empty and determined that he would never write songs again, dark thoughts crept in and Showalter, concerned for his own well-being decided to go on a spiritual pilgrimage - to the Jersey Shore.

During this time, the members of My Morning Jacket, good friends of Showalter’s had gotten word of the terrible state he was in and decided to take things into their own hands. Carl Broemel messaged Showalter and informed him that Bo Koster would be soon be on a two week break from his tour with Roger Waters and they would all be free to meet in Louisville to make the next Strand of Oaks record. Divine intervention or forceful ultimatum, it was the opportunity Showalter needed. He spent the following weeks on the beach doing a mental tearing down-to-the-studs. What emerged was Eraserland, a thrilling and monumental turn for Strand of Oaks.

Praise for Eraserland:

"“I turn my back to the meaning of life and the scene isn’t my scene anymore,” Showalter confesses. What starts out as a somber and meditative stroll, not too dissimilar from a My Morning Jacket joint, becomes a redemptive anthem in true Strand of Oaks glory." - Consequence Of Sound

"Showalter has a gift for melodies that soar like wounded birds triumphantly returning to the sky; his hooks worked wonders when Strand Of Oaks was still a humble folk-rock project, and they sound even more spectacular in the context of ragged-glory arena rock.” - Stereogum

"['Eraserland'] traces the songwriter’s sober reflections and search for tranquility amidst glam-Bowie guitar freakouts (“Hyperspace Blues”), transcendent Crazy Horse jams (“Forever Chords”), and oddball tributes to Malcolm Young (“Moon Landing”)." - Rolling Stone

"Start to finish, ['Eraserland' is] one of Strand of Oaks’ most consistently rewarding albums." - Brooklyn Vegan

"On ["Forever Chords"], Showalter also says that “My fingers keep bending/Still searching for the note.” Thankfully, 'Eraserland', a sometimes harrowing but ultimately hard-earned triumph, seems to have reinvigorated Showalter to keep Strand Of Oaks afloat as the search continues." - American Songwriter

"Over a sweeping and soaring melody, singer and multi-instrumentalist Timothy Showalter narrates a love that shines as bright and life-giving as the sun." - Uproxx

"In a robotic world, genuine rock 'n' roll is still worthy of acclaim. These days, the household names are Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs, and Courtney Barnett, but we might want to add Strand of Oaks to that list.” - Under The Radar

"’Eraserland’, like previous releases, draws liberally and versatilely from the popular canon; with his latest iteration, however, Showalter more consummately subsumes these precedents within his own still-evolving brand. While earlier sets included vital and memorable work, Showalter is now standing on — and floating above — elevated ground." - No Depression