Next week, on March 22nd, Strand of Oaks (Timothy Showalter) will return with his 6th album, Eraserland to be released via label Dead Oceans. Last night he was joined by Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires and My Morning Jacket members Bo Koster and Tom Blankenship to perform the single, ‘Ruby’ on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
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, KY. Eraserland is available for pre-order today 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.
