We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Every Fabric, Every Seam

by Joseph Tennant

supported by
vandcamp99
vandcamp99 thumbnail
vandcamp99 looking forward to the new album
wlouis
wlouis thumbnail
Arianne Smith-Piquette
Arianne Smith-Piquette thumbnail
Nick Alt
Nick Alt thumbnail
/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $4 CAD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Are you someone that likes to have a physical copy of the music you love? Yeah? Then this CD is gonna knock your flippin' socks off!
    All four songs off of Joseph's EP, Every Fabric, Every Seam. Made with just as much love as the EP itself. Enjoy.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Every Fabric, Every Seam via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 12 days

      $12 CAD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    8
    releases

    Get all 8 Joseph Tennant releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Every Fabric, Every Seam, For Solace, Mutineer, Auld Lang Syne, How Good and Pleasant, Stories from the Landscape, Fill Your Room, and Alfred, Alone. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $9.75 CAD or more (35% OFF)

     

1.
As the River Bends 02:34
lyrics
buy track
as the river bends meanders up ahead so are my days i am but a leaf drifting down the stream a shadow on the river bend i’ve tried to live alone building my own throne i’ll die by my crown suppose that i was wrong i yearn to hold someone laugh in their company grab me by the hand we’ll help each other stand wade through the tide a lifetime swirls bye may i be occupied by loving those who cherish me
2.
Make Me New 03:36
lyrics
buy track
i’m so tired of waking up broken to the softness of my core i’m so sick of being loud disrespecting all the saints that i’ve ignored make me new i wanna be new i wanna be a new creation, shatter me again welcomed home to empty rooms the echoes of my anechoic mind angry thoughts bouncing off the discontented soul that’s left to roam finding hope in simplicity the yarrow and the dandelion patch flowers bloom my hearth is warm the embers of contentment and of joy
3.
Newborn Day 02:55
lyrics
buy track
the night is long haunting me with fear and melancholy aches shaking me awake my rattling breath close my eyes and count a famished flock of sheep urge myself sleep my quivering heart waits for morning to arrest this state of death tension in my chest the restless wind malevolently tries to crack this fragile mind screeching down my spine paralyzed ruminate the gifts the newborn day will give learning how to live in eagerness watch the window as the dawn slips through the trees whistling out of key
4.
Every Fabric 02:54
lyrics
buy track
every fabric, every seam all the stitching in out bodies, unraveling every outcome, every scheme the tension at a party before it’s time to leave every valley, every slope from the forest to the canyons, our expansive globe how our trembling bodies ache the eerie thoughts of dying, the sorrow in it’s wake forgive my arrogance if the Lord above us cares why do children lose their dads why does everything collapse i know that i am wrong 1000 different ways but i’m choking on the bitter vial run for shelter in the rain every tombstone, every birth the beauty that lays lurking - slowly unearthed all the scrambling towards a cure the groping in the darkness for something pure

about

My new EP, Every Fabric, Every Seam threads the tension between hope and despair. It’s inspired by young love and loss of life, the bittersweet melancholy that the winter brings. This is why I felt that February was a perfect time to bring this project into the world. Where I live (Calgary, Alberta) we are Jacob wrestling the angel with no hope in sight for relief from the darkness outside our frosted windows.

As the River Bends is the oldest song on the EP and it kicks off with warmth and hope. It’s a relaxed song with a sultry saxophone solo at the midpoint and little sprinkles of banjo to bring you joy. There isn’t a lot to say here - this song has a special place in my heart because it was the first love song I’ve ever written. It's young and kind of naive but that’s okay, so am I.

Make Me New is the bull in the china shop on the record. I got the melody to this one while I was cycling to work one fall morning and finished writing it at a church retreat. This song gets boisterously fun and I deeply enjoyed making it. It’s a song that is borne out of frustration and anger at lack of change. The intro and outro were impromptu while I was recording - I had a few options but I liked how they added to the chaos of the song.

My single for the EP, Newborn Day, is probably the most accessible on the record. It’s a self explanatory song written by a hopeful insomniac. I hope that you find yourself whistling along to this one because I’m really proud of that guitar and whistle part combo. The little orchestral and ambience pads were added to give the song a little more gas as I almost felt like just releasing the song as just the guitar and vocal part. I’m glad I didn’t though and saw the arrangement through.

The EP ends with the newest song, written after I found out that an acquaintance had recently passed away, leaving their infant and wife behind. I was hit particularly hard because my daughter, Mary, was the same age as this other child who will never know their dad. Every Fabric is a song of deep suffering and lament. It asks a question that would get a canned answer from the majority of churches, don’t buy it - you deserve better if you’re going to grapple with the depths of the human experience. Life isn’t simple and cannot be distilled into bite sized proverbs. I want to learn to listen and tell the whole story, which is a big ask in an era where our lives are encapsulated by 15 second clips. This is a song for those of you who are truly living and it’s not making sense.

Sonically, my intention with this group of songs was quite personal. I chose my production process around this idea. Every song started as a few live takes of my guitar and vocals in a room. I chopped these takes for pitch and timing as best as I could but there are some scars and artifacts that remain - a product of an imperfect performer. From there I had a playground of sounds to work with but my intention was to favor (mostly) organic soundscapes. Ultimately - I wanted the listener to feel invited to feel the depths of ache and the shimmers of hope that the human experience brings. I hope I was able to do that as faithfully as possible.

credits

released February 16, 2024

Thanks to my wife, Hannah, and baby, Mary, for giving me the space and time to work on this project. Thank you to Joel for his saxophone work on As the River Bends - the song wouldn’t be what it is without you. Thanks Alex for your mandolin work on Make Me New. Thank you to Phenix for your expert advice and for the awesome masters. Thank you to Steven and Zac for their mixing and sound design advice, sometimes working on your own project is somewhat blinding - it’s easy to get lost down bizarre rabbit holes. Thank you to Wyatt for your encouragement. Thanks to Colin for selling me his old Gretsch which I used on Make Me New. Thanks to Hanford for your support and friendship. To my parents who have always supported me - I’m so grateful for you. To David, my brother, thanks brah - i appreciate you sharing my music with a whole new German audience! This record would not have been possible without my saviour, Jesus, who gives me hope that although the world aches and groans - there is hope.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Joseph Tennant image

Joseph Tennant Calgary, Alberta

Joseph Tennant is a songwriter and musician based in Calgary, Alberta. His music covers a wide variety of emotional landscapes, from melancholy to tongue-in-cheek humour. A skilled storyteller and writer, Joseph is able to captivate his listeners with each lyrical and musical twist. ... more

contact / help

Contact Joseph Tennant

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Joseph Tennant recommends:

If you like Joseph Tennant, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now