Time was you couldn't go a day without hearing about the electronic-leaning English art-rock band alt-J, but they've kept relatively quiet since the release of 2022's The Dream. It turns out Joe Newman, whose gnarled Dave-Matthews-as-a-goblin vocals contributed to alt-J's unique signature sound, has been spending some of that time working on his debut solo album. It's called The Canyon, and it's out now, exclusively as a download for purchase via his website.
Newman has been leaking out tidbits about The Canyon for some time now. In May 2024, he told NME he'd been working with producer Carlos de la Garza in Los Angeles. "When I was younger, I was a big fan of soul music. The musical direction of this new album is Americana, Motown, soul," he explained, "but then it does inevitably have that kind of odd Alt-J quirkiness; a doom-laden sound to it."
In an Instagram post announcing the album, Newman wrote the following:
Hi everyone,
My album; The Canyon, is only available to purchase on my website as a download. To begin, I’m reaching out first to you guys, your continued support means I can write and develop my craft without the looming terror of needing to get a real job. The Canyon is my next creative leap forward. This album embodies the change in my life; becoming a father, working outside of alt-J, new producer, LA and the world of amazing session musicians, Enjoy.
If you’d like to listen to ‘Brush Me Like A Horse’ and download the audio for free, you can do that by signing up to my mailing list on the website below. That’s also where you’ll find the digital download of my album, ‘The Canyon’, which is available to buy exclusively through the website - jjerome87.comLots of love,
Joe
You can preview a few seconds of each track and purchase the album here.
