By Benjamin Joe
Jacob Brockway can be seen tending bar at a local drinking spot some days of the week. He has a massive record collection that finds its way to there, now and again, and he’s an avid independent film fan, which also spills over to his place of employment.
But Brockway is more than just an extension of an alcoholic’s port-of-entry to Thursday night. He is also an independent musician with deep roots in the Buffalo music scene – he grew up in Arizona – and his conversation is peppered with references to other music crafters in the area.
A talk with Brockway can lead one down an outstanding list of names, bands and projects that have at times influenced him, inspired his music, and molded him in his chosen art. There are many and Brockway recalls them humbly as life long friends.
“I was mostly an audio engineer around town for a while,” Brockway said. “I was at a place, it was called ‘Audio Magic’ back then. It’s ‘Black Rock EPS’ now. … At the time I got out (of that), the trend was kind of starting to happen for a home studio/self-recording. … Studios were starting to have a hard time … I got into the live sound. That was my work for a long time.”
On December 7, 2020, Brockway released “Pornographic Hasheesh Daydream in Heaven” the title having been taken out of a book Jack Kerouac wrote in the 1950s. The album is a solo recording of overlaid tracks featuring the acoustic guitar and the petal steel.
Brockway said he, “was trying to do a John Fahey, Robbie Basho kind of thing,” referencing the “American primitive guitar” movement of the 1960s.
“It was definitely a kind of background music,” Brockway said. “And also solo.”
The four tracks include an album titled track, “Time Must Have a Stop,” “The Squirrels of Lake Erie” and “True Light.”
Brockway said he was almost burnt out on music, and spoke of getting into horticulture, but – lucky for us – is still working with Bryce March, a synth artist who was in a popular Buffalo-based band called, “Chyld,” before working with Brockway on “High Lonesome Sound.”
The collaboration produced five tracks of finger picked guitar and electronic boosted harmonies that, like “Pornographic Hasheesh Daydream in Heaven” are heavy into ambient reeling-recordings that transport the mind to a far-off space.
“Me and Bryce just started this project which is mostly improvised material,” Brockway said. “The first song – “Ode to Bull … “ – is a guitar instrumental of mine. The rest of it, I think Bryce did some synth things that I think he pre-recorded, but most of it is improvised material.
“We just showed up, set up and he got all the sounds. He really engineered that project.”
Tracks include “Ode to Bull and the Zen Buddhist Cowboy,” “Cordanzo,” “Laika,” “Blood Harmony” and “The High and Lonesome Sound.” It was released in December of 2021.
Future projects between March and Brockway are coming together, according to Brockway, and may include a cassette tape release.
“Mostly because it’s like very cheap to do – (each) comes with a download – but there’s really this culture of people collecting these cassette tapes,” Brockway said. “It kind of works as a business card. … (That’s good for us because) at the moment we don’t really have an audience. Not a lot of people know about us.”
Both projects can be found on bandcamp at thehighlonesomesound.bandcamp.com and jacobbrockway.bandcamp.com.
Buffalo Music Players 