Of all the people I’ve met during my time as a musician and a documentarian of music, few have impressed me as much as Brett Newski, former frontman of now-defunct Madison,WI band The Nod.
I’ve mentioned Newski plenty of times before (last Spring he was my travel companion to SXSW) but he seems to keep giving me new reasons to talk about him.
Still in his early twenties, Newski has already garnered a lifetime’s worth of musical experiences.
For instance, he’s played SXSW (unofficially, which is just as cool) as a solo act.
He and his accomplices in The Nod have opened for the likes of OK GO, Third Eye Blind, Marcy Playground, RJD2, and many other notable names over the course of his short career.
In 2009 he founded Yes Please Media, a publicity and management company for small to mid-sized acts.
But it’s his most recent accomplishment, a new album entirely recorded while he traveled for 1/2 a year across South East Asia, that impresses me most. Here’s the description from his new website:
“NEW RECORD: “In Between Exits”
“In Between Exits” is a road album recorded from Bangkok to Hong Kong to the Philippines and everywhere in between. Makeshift studios in Couchsurfer apartments and budget hotels made it possible. Newski spent five months alone in Asia with a guitar and a laptop, capturing the liberating highs and loneliest lows of solo travel. The songwriting leans folk, but maintains rock n’ roll stripped of polish and studio finesse. The record took about 365 days to complete and cost less than 1,000 pesos to make.”
I spoke with Brett recently and he seems to be getting quite comfy in Vietnam right now. Prices are low, pay is good, the food is great, and apparently they appreciate a good American Folk song.
He took off on this trip right after The Nod’s final performance at the Union Terrace in Madison (of which there is much video yet to be shared), and created an excellent blog to record his misadventures throughout. It’s called Homeless In Narnia. I highly recommend it, it’s very well written.
Brett’s back in the States for the Holidays and of course playing a couple of shows while he’s out here. If you don’t live in the Madison, WI area (!) take the time to jump over to his website and preview the album before his CD Release Party this Friday 12/16/11 at Mickey’s Tavern in Madison. Show starts at 9:30pm.
Wish I could be there Brett, drink a Hopalicious (or two) for me.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my shaky video of Brett playing a parking lot at SXSW , or watch him sing Japanese in this Music Video I directed for The Nod last year.
Hopefully we'll catch up with you in the future Mr. Newski! I would love to hear more about your adventures! Keep it up!
Mr. Newski, hopefully we can catch-up soon! Looks like you've been having fun, keep up the good work!