Beautifully woven new album from Roger Street Friedman takes some incredibly warming and familiar subjects and topics and brings them to the forefront with such detailed descriptions that it paints vivid pictures in your head from song to song.
The Love Hope Trust album is gorgeous and is filled with full-bodied and lush instrumentation that's all based around an acoustic tonality but reaches out into other spaces as well.
You can hear these wonderful influences from classic rock and contemporary music infused in Roger's songwriting styles, but each song has its own two legs to stand on and tells its own separate story.
You get such open armed and welcoming feelings from listening to these songs and that's where the familiarity comes in. You're comfortable because you feel like you know so much about this artist now and his personal life.
This release has mass amounts of not just personality, but honesty and Truth brought from a vision of perspective that is indeed built off love, hope, and trust.
And this is part of why the album is so addictive really. It's that storytelling aspect of it all.
Don't get me wrong, the music is beautiful. Acoustic guitars, mandolins, and just a wondrous display of energy and arrangement.
The music and melodies are done with much attention to detail and there is absolutely nothing but heart, heart, and more heart flowing through the veins of this release.
We need music like this. Music that can make us feel something and think of memories of our own even while the lyrical content is so descriptive and detailed.
This is all part of what makes this record so impactful.
It's like listening to someone tell stories with such detail that you have to believe them because they just have so much in them that speaks truth. You just know these songs came from someplace real whether it be the outside or from within him.
Musically again, wonderful classic rock influences that remind you of different time periods in the genre and what a guitar player Roger is.
I think the strong suit of this album is the songwriting.
Being able to string everything together so that it feels like you're reading a book and each song is a chapter, is beyond impressive.
And you just find yourself wanting to know the art is better.
With such a fantastic album released, we wanted to have a sit-down with Roger Street Friedman to find out more of where this album actually came from.
Here's what happened.
Buzz Slayers: Okay guys let's start with the Love Hope Trust album! This record provided such a lush soundscape, and it was incredibly genuine! How did this album come about?
Thanks! Most of the songs were written between the start of the pandemic and the recording sessions in March/April of 2022. Larry Campbell (who produced the album and has worked with Bob Dylan and Levon Helm) and I had begun talking about making the record pretty much right after releasing RISE in 2020 and were anxious to get into the studio with these songs… Once we got into the studio it all came together rather easily. The band and I have a great working relationship with LC and he’s so great to be with in the studio that it was a real joyful experience from start to finish. I think that shines through on the tracks… Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you? When did you fall in love with music?
I was born into a music loving family and I came of age in the dark ages of record players and hi-fi stereos! Got my first system for my 10th birthday and a few great records and was completely hooked. I’ve been playing the guitar since the age of seven. My dad was a huge music fan and my 2 big brothers both played in bands… so music has always been a huge part of my life! Buzz Slayers: What kind of things really inspire songs?
Pain, happiness, love, injustice, beauty… not necessarily in that order! Buzz Slayers: There are some outstanding styles on this record. Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
I love all the singer-songwriters from the 60’s and 70’s, Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, but also listened to a lot of rock, like Zeppelin, the Stones, The Who and more recently I’ve been really getting into Jason Isbell, Son Volt and Father John Misty! Buzz Slayers: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
Riding a road bike or a mountain bike!! Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?
Let It Be by the Beatles… Buzz Slayers: Are you doing any live performances right now? Yes - heading out tomorrow for a little tour down south and then working on booking more shows for the spring, summer and fall! Buzz Slayers: Did you record on your own or hit a big studio for this? I’m lucky enough to have a great studio in my house - so we do it all here except for the mixing! Buzz Slayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future? I’m always writing - so I think more music should be coming out later this year or early next… Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you for listening... and always feel free to reach out and keep in touch!
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