JP Harris has seen a lot of life for someone his age. At the age of 14, Harris left home and did the train-hopping and punk rock thing. He's herded sheep among the Navajo. He's lived in a backwoods cabin for over a decade without electricity and running water. Recently, he hosted a showcase at the Newport Folk Festival, featuring voices from the more obscure corners of folk and roots music. In his song "JP's Florida Blues #1," Harris kickstarts his new album Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing with a raucous honky-tonk jolt.
The video -- written by Harris -- shows off his keen sense of humor. We watch Harris proceed through a bonkers road trip in his beat up truck...a road trip with lots of recreational use of controlled substances. The video features cameos from the Watson Twins, JD McPherson, and Chance McCoy from Old Crow Medicine Show -- though you probably won't recognize them or anybody else in the video beneath the sunglasses, masks, nuns' habits, puppets, and clouds of, um, snow. It's a hero's journey of a kind as we watch Harris brave the Florida highways while navigating the temptations and traps they offer. For Harris, though, it's not an endorsement of the lifestyle -- while the performers are clearly having the time of their lives making the video, Harris' character, El Cañon, is clearly trying his best to make it out alive.
Harris will be in Nashvile for this year's AmericanaFest, playing a set on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 3rd & Lindsley. He's also assembled a showcase called Sunday Morning Coming Down for Sunday, Sept. 16, at 919 Gallatin Ave. It's free and open to the public and features some of Americana's most exciting new voices: Kristina Murray, video co-stars The Watson Twins, Erin Rae, Creamer, Kevin Gordon and Elizabeth Cook.
Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing will be released on October 5 via Free Dirt Records.
Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing Track Listing
- "JP's Florida Blues #1"
- "Lady In the Spotlight"
- "When I Quit Drinkin'"
- "Long Ways Back"
- "Sometimes Dogs Bark at Nothing"
- "Hard Road"
- "I Only Drink Alone"
- "Runaway"
- "Miss Jean-Marie"
- "Jimmy's Dead and Gone"
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