Memorializing a unique chapter of uncertainty and estrangement in our global fabric, the 40-minute listen underwrites the beauty and long lasting impact of connection in spite of the hurdles such an era presents. With acceptance and appreciation for the cards dealt before him, Edens offers his contribution to the tapestry of today, sewing heirloom seeds to be enjoyed by future generations.—Grateful Web
The album’s title, A Life In Trade, is a nod to a business arrangement struck by Pierce Edens with Mike Savino from the bands Tall Tall Trees and Kishi Bashi. Savino had a vision of constructing a recording studio and required a skilled carpenter, recognizing Edens’ expertise. In a barter of services, the musicians traded their time: building for recording, trim for tracking, flooring for mixing, and soundproofing for sound creation.
Within the album, Edens preserves his distinctive rugged sound while achieving a heightened sense of intimacy compared to previous works. Weaving a blue-collar theme, the songs delve into raw and relatable love narratives, with a foundation of “A Life In Trade” serving as its backdrop. Edens celebrates finding love after “years piling up” in the opening track “The Only Ones.” He laments losing it in the heart-wrenching track “Lovely Bones” and expresses pinpointed longing for it in “I Want You.” Finally, the album travels outward to timely, global concepts in its only cover song “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” where Edens makes a poignant note of society’s preoccupation with living on other planets.
Each song and interlude are a testament to the skill of Edens’ longtime bandmate Kevin Reese. Playing guitar and mandolin, Reese conjoins, layers, and expands with poetic breaks and soulful licks that underline his years of stage-sharing with Edens. Savino also appears on bass, banjo, and percussion, providing the full depth of his musical knowledge and innovative application. The album also features guest appearances by Bryan Minto on harmonica and Ryan Oslance on drums. Long time collaborator Adam Johnson mixed and mastered the album.
Life is the intersection of empty and full, dark and light. This relationship, inherent in all things, is the underpinning of Pierce Edens’ new release. Over the last ten years, Edens has been drawing on his roots in Appalachian songwriting and blending them with the gritty rock and roll sounds that captivated him in his teenage years. Here again, Edens pulls together light and dark— Stripped Down Gussied Up is both haunting and fiery; a concoction of psychedelic-grunge, with Eden’s raw, tortured country bray at the helm.
Stripped Down, Gussied Up marked the initial collaboration between Pierce Edens and Kevin Reese, exploring a novel interpretation of what acoustic music means. The two ventured into crafting an “acoustic plus” sound that would define their musical direction going forward.
Following the disbandment of The Dirty Work due to life circumstances, Pierce partnered with Reese to embrace this new artistic direction. They recorded the album at Pierce’s renovated childhood home nestled deep within the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina.
Under the guidance of producer Adam Johnson, the trio crafted minimalistic and raw arrangements driven by acoustic instruments, while experimenting with effects and tones to cultivate a distinctive ambiance. Matt Nielson contributed his digital wizardry to the project, as well, to gussy up the stripped down recordings, resulting in the album’s apt title, Stripped Down, Gussied Up.
The Self-Titled Pierce Edens album marked an initial stride towards a different musical trajectory. The recording took place at his renovated childhood residence nestled deep within the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. It signified Pierce’s departure from the “bar-band, rockabilly blues” style that The Dirty Work had honed through years of live shows. This album served as an expedition into a folk-oriented singer-songwriter approach to his music.
Collaborating with Matt Smith, an long-time member of The Dirty Work, Pierce introduced a fresh lineup of musicians to the ensemble, including Jesse James Hongisto. Notably, the album incorporated a string-section, background vocals, and delved deeply into overdubs, textures, and fresh thematic elements.
Pierce Edens and The Dirty Work: LIVE was captured during two consecutive nights at the Lexington Avenue Brewery in Asheville, NC. On stage, Pierce was accompanied by his longtime collaborator, Matt Smith, along with a new cast of characters, including Jesse James Hongisto on Upright Bass and Dane Rand on Drums.
The performance was enriched by special guest appearances from Jim Aaron on Harmonica, Jacob Rodriguez on Saxophone, and Justin Ray on Trumpet. The vibrant energy of the band during these performances was further immortalized in this high-definition DVD release, alongside the live album CD and Digital Download release.
*This album is no longer in print and only available as a digital download.*
With the same band lineup and crew from the Party Dress album, Pierce Edens and The Dirty Work unveiled their sophomore album, titled Long Days Above Ground. The recording took place at Landslide Studios in Asheville, NC, generously funded in part by an artist’s grant from the City of Asheville.
During an intensive week-long session, the band laid down the tracks that would eventually form the heart of the album. It was the first time the band brought in assistance from outside musicians, such as The Firecracker Jazz Band, to create a more detail oriented and realized recording.
*This album is no longer in print and only available as a digital download.*
Tracked over a whiskey-fueled weekend at Silvermine Studios in Marshall, NC, Party Dress was originally intended to be a demo. Pierce Edens and The Dirty Work were in their early stages of becoming a band and were in need of a recording in order to book live shows.
After listening back to the tracks, the band realized they were genuinely proud of the essence captured in their “demo.” This led to Party Dress becoming the official debut album release for Pierce Edens and The Dirty Work.