How To Release An Album In A Pandemic: Safe @ Home From Jeff Hulett and Jacob Church
How To Release An Album In A Pandemic: Safe @ Home From Jeff Hulett and Jacob Church
Memphis musician and writer Jeff Hulett has had a little time on his hands. Normally, he performs regularly at local clubs with one of his many bands (Me & Leah and Snowglobe among them) when he's not working or spending time with family.
When the coronavirus cancelled all of his gigs—a universal experience for musicians and bands— Jeff didn't stop making music. He called up fellow multi-instrumentalist Jacob Church and proposed the creation of a quarantine album.
Proceeds of album sales ($10 for a well-worth-it digital download here) benefit the Music Export Memphis COVID-19 Relief Fund.
On April 28, Jeff and Jacob Church released "Safe @Home", a short and sweet seven-track delight that reflects this moment in time. Here's one track, "High Road" with its accompanying video by Jake Vest.
"The inspiration for 'Stay @ Home' came from a "longing for a fun, meaningful project during an un-fun, uncertain time," Jeff explains. "Collaboration and community are so important to me, so this was a great way to connect while remaining distant and isolated."
Jeff's favorite tune of the seven is Watch Out, "because of its sarcasm, humor, and doom-and-gloom language. Watch Out is also very interesting musically, Jacob's harmonies on are point, not to mention his guitar work".
Hulett wrote six of the seven tracks and Church mixed and mastered each track except N. Belvedere, which was recorded and mixed by Andrew McCalla.
While recording in isolation—using an iPhone!—was different than the duo's usual experience producing studio albums, Jeff says the collaboration was smooth and productive. "There was not one thing Jacob sent me that I was like, "nah, man"," Jeff says. "Everything is gold."
The two decided to expand the Safe @ Home project a little more, partnering with friends and artists to create pieces that reflected each of the tracks. Andrew Kosten, who's worked with Jeff's band Snowglobe, created this illustration for "N. Belvedere".
The song "Beautiful Space" was written by John Spaedt to honor his late mother; his wife Rebekah Laurenzi created the accompanying illustration.
Show your support for Memphis musicians by purchasing Safe @ Home today via bandcamp, and give yourself the gift of some new quarantine tunes while you're at it.
Here's some more artwork from the Safe @ Home album project:
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