Singer/songwriter Joe Pug’s songs offer an updated version of the country-folk archetypes that Bob Dylan and John Prine made famous. Pug’s rise has been as improbable as it has been impressive.
After dropping out of college and taking on work as a carpenter in Chicago, he got his musical start by providing CDs for his fans to pass along to their friends. This unorthodox promotional strategy resulted in the EP selling more than 20,000 copies. This led to a string of sold-out shows and a record deal with Nashville indie Lightning Rod Records (Jason Isbell, Billy Joe Shaver). Pug, in short, is a very interesting man.
Being a songwriter is like… being one step above a clown but one step below a magician.
When someone says my work is ‘absolutely brilliant’… I say thanks, Mom.
My perfect day… repeated viewings of Cool Runnings on a nice standalone DVD player.
The song that plays in my head the most is… the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme.
If I could have written any song it would be… The Yeoman’s Lament by Mozart.
What people don’t understand about me is… that music is a sophisticated ruse for me to acquire a series of Hungry Jack’s franchises in NSW.
Busking is to live gigs is what… print newspapers are to online aggregators.
When I’m playing Bello you can expect… sweet deliverance at long last.
Joe Pug plays Bello Winter Music Fri 7 and Sat 8 July at the Memorial Hall, Bellingen.
Tickets at bellowintermusic.com.
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