A Personal New Release from Lonesome Cat
- BuzzSlayers
- May 27
- 7 min read
An album release from Lonesome Cat recently dropped, and the record delves deep into a lot of personal attributes that let you feel like you're a part of the songs themselves, as they tell deep-knitted stories from that one-on-one perspective as songs unfold.
I think this is a big part of why the record works so well. You automatically connect with it because the artist can articulate things lyrically in such a way that you can understand them, relate to them, and at times paint a picture in your head while the songs play through.
One of the most brilliant attributes about the Acoustic Mourning album is the fact that it delves into a bit of a soiree of genres, sticking heavily to this blues feel that is laced throughout the record's course.
This is definitely a southern tone release. It borders on Americana a lot of the time, but it also hits rock, folk, and plenty more.
Although it is cold Acoustic Mourning, this is not just an acoustic record whatsoever. There's a lot of other instrumentation, including electric guitars, string synths, live percussion, and more, that are utilized, giving this album a very lush and full-bodied feel.
The first track, "Against The Shadows", is a great representation of how he's able to build songs out.
This is an artist who spends a lot of time focusing on arrangement so that you can sort of feel the rise of intensity as songs play on. I love this attribute because this record can be quite emotional, and this first single is an amazing way to open the door to the rest of the record itself.
Songs like "Table for One" give off such intense character, loads of truths, and it's all done in a sort of unafraid way, giving off plenty of vulnerability, and the beauty of songs like this is that it is acoustic and very full-oriented, but there's this pop coating.
A lot of that comes from his vocal approach because even though the song has a folk undertone with the acoustic guitar and its performance, giving warmth and soul, his vocal has this more current overtone to it, and the performance.
That combination is really beautifully done. Even though that vocal approach has loads of pop-overtone, it still delivers plenty of soul as well.
You also get glimpses of jazz feeling aesthetics with songs like 'Ride Your Wave", also following suit with a sort of delicate or soft acoustic guitar performance and smooth, almost R&B style vocals.
More of the blues rock style comes in with songs like "Thinking of You", which showcases amazing guitar work that really sucks you into the song.
His vocals are very robust on tracks like this. He's got a lot of control over the dynamics of how he performs.
It's very balanced, and when songs are a little louder and more intense, his vocals follow suit. This track has a very boisterous vocal approach that you just can't turn away from.
This is a record I highly suggest listening to in full, from start to finish. There are plenty of surprises around its corners and a lot to chew on.
The display of the many influences the artist holds close to his heart is strewn throughout the record, and again, it covers everything from that classic folk to a soulful, almost gospel feel, light-hearted rock, plenty of pop, Americana, and so much more, all rolled into this one big record.
Definitely dig into this one because there are some deep cuts and there are some radio-friendly singles as well, all well worth your time, especially if you like music that tells stories and has character.
That is what this record boasts the most of. It's got loads of character, and what's the record is over, you have a strange way of taking that character with you.
Most certainly check this one out as soon as you can, and while you're doing that, have a read-through of our interview with Lonesome Cat below, where we get into his influences, what this record is about, and how it all began for him.
Remember where you heard it first.
Where did this record come from and what was it about?
Acoustic Mourning is a distillation of emotions that I've been struggling with for the past few years: grief and loss, depression and self doubt, existential fear. I tried to bring some uplift to the album (I didn't want it to bum people out) but my lyrics kept drifting to the somber. It was as though my spirit was guideing me to express these uncomfortable emotions that had been building within me for some time.
During the past five years, one tragic event after another kept falling like dominos every few months: I lost friends, family, pets, my job, my home, and my wife. I had a law degree and I was manageing a non-profit for persons with disabilities, then the dominos started to fall, leaving me broken and alone with the world I had built lying in shambles around me.
At the end of 2024, my little black cat, Batty, came down with a respiratory illness, and I had to make the decision to end her suffering. Then a few months later, I had to do the same for my fuzzy buddy, Roland. Those two final dominos simply crushed me. Subsequent days were spent searching for reasons to carry on.
Attempting to distract myself, I turned back to music, and since I was now jobless, I had time to focus on the album I had always wanted to create. I started putting my grief and fear into lyrical form, and the end result was Acoustic Mourning.
I am hearing a few different styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
I wanted the album to be a collection of adjacent styles, not too different from one another, but just enough to provide variety. Ultimately, the lyrics provided the guideing force behind the tonal choices. For each track, my intent was to create a soundscape that would best reflect the meaning behind the words and mood I was trying to generate.
My musical taste has evolved and expanded over the years. In high school, all I would listen to was metal. Now, I can appreciate music from every genre. Inspiration for the tracks on Acoustic Mourning came from artists such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots- dramatically different genres to be sure, but I believe the emotional wavelength helped me make certain tonal and conceptual decisions.
Are you performing live right now?
No. I don't play live.
How did this all start for you as an artist?
The one goal I had in life was to create an album of original music before I transition beyond this mortal coil. In 2012, I dedicated myself to learning music theory, recording and mixing, and honing my guitar playing and vocals. I didn't have the financial resources to hire a studio, so I knew I'd have to do it all myself. Being blind, it is incredibly difficult to find accessible resources- especially recording software.
At one point in my life, I hosted a radio show at the University of Hawaii called The Monster Show. In fact, I resigned from my show in 2013 because I wanted to focus on my own musical path. I had grown weary of playing other people's music and wanted to create something of my own. During that period, I made a friend who was in a local band who had released several albums. During my recent period of sorrow, he introduced me to the world of AI generated music. I didn't want to hear it. I saw AI as fake and generic and totally anathema. However, one day I played around with it to explore its capabilities, not expecting much. After learning to control the program, I ran some lyrics through it and was astonished at how close the final product had come to my musical vision.
This discovery stirred up a lot of conflicting feelings. On one hand, I wanted to be the star of the show. I wanted people to admire my voice and guitar skills, but after learning to use the computer, I realized that I am unable to produce anything as sonically interesting as I can with this method. I am meticulous about adjusting the software to best compliment the lyrics and mood I am trying to evoke. My goal has become to create a sonically perfect expression of the meaning I am trying to convey for each song.
This experience has also caused me to reflect on my life. I've always appreciated poetry, having written my first poem in the third grade called "Bears Have Hairs," a child's lament that animals were being killed for their furr. I now realize that my strength is in the lyric writing, and I am using the software to manifest my lyric ideas into reality. Many songwriters have traditional musicians to express their vision; I have a band too, but mine is digital.
Did you work with a producer on this album, or was this all you?
Not having any financial resources or much of a social network to speak of, I had to do it myself: the lyrics, arrangement, sonic design, and post production were all part of my workflow.
What's next for you? Working on more new releases?
I am currently working on a new Lonesome Cat project, though I also have ideas for projects in different genres, all of which will be released under the Unsound Creations label.
What kind of advice would you give to other up and coming bands or artists trying to get heard?
I really don't have a solid answer as I am trying to figure this out for myself. I've heard that over 100,000 new tracks are uploaded to streaming services every day. That is almost unfathomable. I would suggest hiring a reliable PR company, because they have the contacts and can cut through a lot of the noise. Also, don't give up. I need to constantly remind myself of this. Music artists typically don't' skyrocket overnight. It takes time and patience to find your audience, and understand that people who may not be interested in your music today, could gravitate to it in the future.
What would you say people can expect to hear on this record?
Distilled pain. Compassion for all living creatures.
what would you want to express to fans of the music?
Thank you from the depths of my being for giving it a chance. We are kindred.
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