“I’ve never felt like I was in any particular risk of having a hit song or a hit record,” said singer/songwriter Jeffrey Foucault. “So when I make a record, I don’t come out swinging with the radio single or anything. I’m trying to figure out what’s gonna essentially tell a story and lead you through the material in a way that makes some kind of sense.” And that he does, particularly on his latest album, Blood Brothers, which, as Foucault said, is “tender and ballad heavy.”
Foucault has been on the folk/bluegrass/rock scene since releasing his debut album, Miles from the Lightning, in 2001. Nearly two decades later, he has carved out a lasting career — “I haven’t had a straight job since about 2000” — writing and singing lyrically enticing, musically compelling songs. He’s played with top-notch musicians and has even had his tunes covered by rock legends — former Eagles drummer Don Henley does a great version of “Everybody’s Famous.” I recently spoke over the phone with Foucault about his new record. The following is an edited version of our conversation.
“Dishes” is such a great opening track; it sets the tone for the whole record. Did you place the tracks in a certain order for specific reasons or was it haphazard? It’s always a pretty thoughtful process. Sometimes you sequence a record, and it goes together in a pretty easy way. Sometimes it’s like a puzzle, and you try to sequence it for weeks and weeks and weeks. … One of the things you have to think about is the length of each song and, assuming you’re gonna work on vinyl, then you have sonic limitations based on how long a side can be and how the songs work together. … But, like you said, it seemed as though “Dishes” set the table for the rest of the record in a nice way and created a context and a feeling.