Sudbury singer-songwriter Josh Odair is back with another single. “Against the Ropes” was recorded at Sudbury’s Deadpan Studios and released Jan. 9.
Odair said he took some time to step back so he could get some writing done. The new single is born of that effort, as his upcoming single, set for release in a few months, “High Roller”.
Both tracks were recorded at Deadpan Studios in Sudbury and “capture the energy of four musicians following instinct, letting the music shape itself in the moment,” Odair told Sudbury.com.
He said he brought a “bare bones” acoustic track along with his vocals to a trio of local players — “No bass lines, no drum parts, no arrangements. Just the core of the songs.”
With the help of three Sudbury musicians whose names are well-known in the local scene — Matt Foy on drums, Jordan Lalonde on bass and Steve Smith on electric guitar — the song took shape.
“Three musicians with completely different influences joined him. Instead of trying to shape the songs into something pre-planned, they leaned into the moment, letting the energy of the room guide them,” the release states.
For his part, Odair said the recording session captured a moment in time.
“I walked in with just the acoustic and vocals and let everyone add whatever felt right,” Odair says. “No rules. No charts. Just four people playing music together and seeing where it went.
“You’ll probably never catch this exact version live. It was one day, one room, one moment and that’s what’s on the record. I’m just glad we caught it while it was still wild.”
You can listen to Odair’s new single, “Against the Ropes”, on Spotify or Apple Music. Check it out here.
If you like what you hear, you can give Odair a follow on Instagram @JoshOdairMusic to learn more about creative process, watch live performance clips and get the jump on ongoing projects. You can also learn more on his website, JoshOdair.com.