DOUG KWARTLER: Halfway House

Doug Kwartler

Halfway House

© 2003 Doug Kwartler (801781816428)

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Halfway House is a remarkable ensemble of mostly acoustic-based folk and country tinged rock music. Featured guests include guitarist Mark Spencer, (Blood Oranges, Jay Farrar, Lisa Loeb) and other New York based singer / songwriters.

notes

Doug Kwartler's musical upbringing was filled with the enduring storytelling of Bruce Springsteen, the in-your-face folk-rock of Tom Petty and the rockabilly twang of Brian Setzer. All these influences gracefully come together in his debut solo release, Halfway House, on Hollow Body Records.

"Somewhat more subtle, personal and introspective." That's how Kwartler, lead-singer and songwriter for the prominent New York roots-rock band Foundry, compares Halfway House to Foundry's upcoming sophomore disc, Give Me A Reason To Live. (Also on Hollow Body.) Foundry, Kwartler's band for 5-years, has established itself as a popular roots - rock outfit not only in the New York City area, but also in other parts of the East Coast and overseas. The band has sold cd's in Belgium, Italy, Germany, Holland, Japan, France and Denmark and has toured extensively throughout the eastern U.S.

Fourteen tracks in all, Halfway House is a remarkable ensemble of acoustic-based folk and country tinged music. Featured guests include guitarist Mark Spencer, (Blood Oranges, Jay Farrar, Lisa Loeb) and other New York based singer / songwriters including, Sara Brenner and Michael Leuci. The cd was recorded mainly in Kwartler's own Hollow Body Studios in Long Island, NY over the last half of 2002 through the summer of 2003. It is a poignent collection of songs that delve into the most formidable and complex aspects of relationships, family and childhood, as well as broader social issues of prejudice and consequence. "I think I read an interview with Lucinda Williams who said something in regards to writing about the things you're most afraid to write about and also not being afraid to write about your truths. It's the hardest thing to do, but it makes for the most powerful work," Kwartler says.

Subtlety pervades the opening track on Halfway House in a song called, "You Were Still." "It's a quiet and simple love song and I wanted to keep the arrangments simple to emphasize that feeling," Kwartler notes. The song features a finger-picked guitar track with a flute and organ accompaniment and Kwartler's unaffected vocals. It opens with a suitor stumbling upon his destined to-be true love but waiting to approach, "Well I saw you lyin' there, You did not notice I was there...Well I waited 'till you were gone, then I slept there all alone...." Ultimately finding her again and humbly acknowleding her tranquility, "Then I found you on the hill, I was in motion, but you were still, saw you lyin' with me, saw you lyin' with me over there...."

"Not all the songs are quiet," Kwartler assures potential listeners. "There are some rockers, but they have a different feel than what you would hear on a Foundry record. On the new Foundry record, for example, there's definitely an overall live and raw energy we captured. I think on this solo album, even the rockers have a somewhat more intimate and personal feeling. And as a whole the cd offers a more eclectic range of sounds and production."

Nowhere is that range more evident than on the cd's two instrumental pieces. "All Good" starts off with an "old-timey" banjo riff and winds up in an acoustic foot-stomping, country-blues jam -- complete with slide guitar, cellos, shakers and other percussion. "Prelude," which eventually segues into the introspective, "Places," is awash in layers of buzzing guitars, drums and other unusual sounds. "Much of 'Prelude," Kwartler explains," was taken from sound clips of the song it precedes, 'Places.' They are interconnected. I wanted to create something very different and capture a feeling I had as a kid growing up, which is kind of what 'Places' is about. So, I guess 'Places' is both narrative and emotive, while 'Prelude' is more of the pure feeling, without the words. They're both about the same thing."

It's on songs like, "Places," and the starkly eloquent, "Hometown of My Own" that Kwartler explores the memories and feelings of his childhood. "Places," which features haunting guitar work by Mark Spencer contrasts the naive confidence of being young and invincible with feelings of confusion and emptyness. All this is wrapped in a sparce acoustic setting with Spencer's chilling guitar sounds in the distance.

"Hometown of My Own," with its stark arrangement of vocal, acoustic guitar, chimes and organ, is pure Springsteen, circa Nebraska. The only song on the cd not produced by Kwartler, it was produced by
long-time friend and former Foundry drummer, Michael Leuci. Kwartler adds, "That song's origin is directly influenced by a Springsteen song called 'Freehold.' I guess it's kind of a reaction to it. Even though I've been a fan for 20 years, I first heard it only a couple of years ago. It blew me away to hear how he combined writing both critically and endearingly about this place in which he grew up. It's also really funny. I started to think about my old neighborhood. Unfortunately, I couldn't find too much humor in it..but nonetheless a song was born. I was over at Mike's [Leuci] house one day and I played him the song on acoustic guitar. He really liked it and suggested we record it right there. I had a horrible cold, but it added some interesting gravelly quality to my voice. A couple of weeks later, Mike played me what he'd done with it and it was great. A keeper."

While a good portion of Halfway House is intimate and acoustic, the cd also boasts a slew of upbeat and mid-tempo rockers, including "The Ride" (which recalls some of Tim Easton's latest work), the testimonial "Morning Burn," the love-spurned and Tupelo-esque, "Mars" as well as the guitar driven "Dreamcatcher."

"The Ride," the cd's second track, is an anthemic call to arms. The song opens, "Call you out, across all nations running through yourself..." Kwartler says, "It's about prejudice, misunderstanding and ultimately acceptance, trying to find a sense of peace." "Morning Burn" echos Wilco and the Jayhawks. "That song is about a lot of things. It's about struggling to accomplish something and having to make decisions and deal with the decisions you made, it's about being alone and again, it's about consequences," Kwartler explains. "Mars" is a fast-paced song about love gone wrong, fresh with irony and sarcasm. Kwartler notes, "Yeah I was over with Mike at my friend Austin's house, which overlooks the beach and the sky was amazing. It was a few weeks after Mars (the planet) had appeared at its largest in thousands of years and Mike looked up at it and just said, "Mars is shrinking." (Which became the first line of the song.) I guess it stuck with me."

Another song that harkens back to Springsteen is the cd's closing number, "Things We Never Mention." That song, along with "Range," "Halfway House," "Nighttime," and "Feel Like Sleeping" intricately explore personal relationships and consequence, themes which permeate the entire cd.

"Things We Never Mention," dives deeply into the darker and unspoken arenas of love and relationships. "The things we never mention, that get us through this pain, I'll never walk this broken road again," proclaims the singer. "I wanted to write a song about the thoughts people have and the actions they take to get through their day and their lives. But they're things that they keep to themselves, even in the closest of relationships. They're not necessarily bad things, although they could be, but they're things that maybe there's some mixed or guilty feelings about," says Kwartler. The cd's title track, "Halfway House," also touches upon similar issues but with the singer ultimately digging in for the long haul, "...Burn the curtains and shades, I've come to finish and stay, We'll manage to come away from Halfway House."

"Range," the fourth song on the cd, is weaved with stories of reflection, regret and, ultimately, promise. It opens with a scene from a junkyard with an old car in the rain and cuts next into the life of a woman doubting a choice she's made. Soon there are intertwining images of the modern world with all it's distractions, describing "...helicopters flying overhead," and "...war relations, relay stations, radio towers lookin' strange...." But soon the singer resolves, "...But I'm coming into Range," offering some hope in finding himself among the confusion. The song revolves around a gentle country shuffle, set to soothing acoustic guitars and familiar sounding country licks by Mark Spencer on lap steel guitar. Kwartler explains, "I think the anchor song or cornerstone of Halfway House is 'Range.' It comes full-circle from beginning to end and sets up the characters (through the narrator) to have some hope in the face of doubt. It encompasses all the themes on the cd together in one story."

Doug Kwartler began playing guitar at age 15. Immediately influenced by Brian Setzer, a fellow Long Islander, Kwartler soon bought his first guitar - a 1963 Gretsch Atkins Nashville Model. He quickly learned the rockabilly riffs of the masters, including: Perkins, Cochran, Vincent and, of course, Setzer. Although he admits, "not nearly in the same universe as those guys."

Soon, other guitarists like Keith Richards and Pete Townshend would influence his style. It was their influence that really made Doug want to perform on stage. At that time, his dream was only to become a great guitar player.

All that changed when, in 1984, Doug's older brother (who's aptly named, Bruce) brought home Born In The USA. "Springsteen was the greatest influence on me as a musician. He made me want to be a songwriter. Before him, my dream was to be a guitar player. " Additional influences Doug sites are Tom Petty, Dylan, Johnny Cash, Jay Farrar and Woody Guthrie.

In addition to being a songwriter and performer, Kwartler also records and produces albums for other artists in his Long Island, NY, Hollow Body Studios. New York artists such as: Austin Kuebler, Stuart Markus, Sara Brenner, The Repercussions, Dave Isaacs and Howard Hilsenrath have all recorded there. "I definitely like to go for a natural, warm and roomy sound in my production," says Doug, adding, "I really like producers like T. Bone Burnett and Daniel Lanois. Those guys know how to make music sound natural and organic."

On Halfway House, Kwartler breaks open and delves into many of life's most defining moments, putting them into songs with lasting melodies and genuine lyrics. Drawing from his own experiences, he has created an album that is both fresh and authentic, with music rooted in history and with stories and struggles that are a part of all of our lives.

Look for Kwartler to tour in support of Halfway House through the summer, 2004.

reviews

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  • 4 - STARS - Says Doug Floyd - AltCountrytab.com "...brilliant..." "...superb...
    author: Doug Floyd - Alt Country Tab.com

    Starting to play guitar at the age of fifteen, Doug Kwartler set out on his road to making it in the music world early. A fan of Stray Cat - Brian Setzer and his twanging rockabilly guitar, he followed his lead before widening the scope to take onboard such influences as Tom Petty, Dylan, Johnny Cash, Jay Farrar and Woody Guthrie. His music, it would be fair to say, combine these influences subtly into a style he can truly claim his own. He has come quite a way since those embryonic steps as a guitar player and now he owns his own Long Island studio and as well as playing produces bands in the area. So Kwartler is no slouch! On top of his solo and production career he plays lead guitar and sings in his band Foundry, who specialise in 'roots rock' Ney York style, and it was with this band that he recorded a song "For the Rest of My Life," with the New York Fire Department, as a tribute to the men who lost their lives on that faithful September Day in 2001. Musically this solo set is nothing too surprising, there is however, a good mix of country and roots rock that makes it an easy listen and one that often finds its way winding back into the player for just another spin. Opener “You Were Still” is a finely timorous start. The guitar and vocal solo performance with a hint of flute, sort of puts me in mind of a male version of Gillian Welch, only with a hint more swing. “The Ride” picks the pace up with a full band rendition, harmonies that visit early Byrds come into view, the structure one of classic folk/country rock. The meandering “Range” has a gentle country lilt, Mark Spencer’s Lap classy steel adding the authentic touches, as the guitars strum along in steady 4/4 time. Kwartler’s vocals are steady and suitably warm for this kind of song, and this is one of the early highlights of the set. “Morning Burn” has a real feel of seventies-eighties Brit pop/rock to it, the sort of thing that you tended to get from Jeff Lynne era Tom Petty, or for that matter in a similar vein to Peter Bruntnell. Here for the first time Doug Kwartler really lets his vocals loose and it really makes an incredible difference to the dynamics of the album. From here on in things really do seem to pick up. One of the great moments comes in the form of “Mars” - a punchy west coast garage rocking number and its worth noting that the man plays everything on this one (If I deciphered the liner noted right!) Funnily enough, it is the drums that really lift this one, and it is not through any degree of percussive ability, rather than by a display of sheer exuberance. Top of the pile for me though is in all probability “Places” - an extremely powerful song. A sympathetic guitar - vocal piece that gets gashed down the middle with feral forwards/backwards guitar histrionics, and then builds to a climax with a full band treatment before fading back into the darkness at the end… “Look out at the road, Laid out on the stairs Nothing seems to move, No one seems to care Hazy open sky, heavy in my soul Questions come to mind, But questions getting old” …quite superb! The more melodic moments are best represented by songs like “Dream Catcher” which carries a catchy hook and some very nice harmonies but there is even room on the album for “All Good”, a banjo led instrumental piece that is quite brilliant, immensely catchy and in all likelihood also addictive.! I played this one over and over again…both for real and in my head and despite some other fine lyrical touches on this album, this cut remains with me long after I have gone to sleep. Another highpoint is the immensely touching “Hometown of My Own” – “A place where your money kept everything happy, Well it didn't for me.” A very tasteful, skilfully painted biographical portrait of the artist’s overcast youth and his desire to find a place to settle where his heart can rest… sort of an antidote to -“My Hometown” by Springsteen… “When I go back today it's all so unclear A feeling of home but a feeling I fear Of sorrow and pain and empty and cold Oh how I want a hometown of my own” The set closes with another fine song in “Things We Never Mention” with a soulful country feel that takes you down the line to something Gram Parsons might well have touched upon, both lyrically and musically, a strong close to a very impressive set of songs. You Were Still The Ride Range Morning Burn Mars Prelude Places Feel Like Sleeping Nighttime Dreamcatcher Halfway House All Good Hometown of My Own Things We Never Mention

  • "...Halfway House is one hell of a roots-rock record..." "...Simply beautiful!.
    author: CtrlAltcountry.be

    "Quite a busy life Doug Kwartler's leading nowadays. The New York based roots rock collective Foundry's main man recently saw the emergence of both his band's sophomore effort and his own first ever solo record. Compared to "Give Me A Reason To Live", the new Foundry album, "Halfway House" according to Kwartler himself is a somewhat more subtle, personal and introspective record. But that doesn't exactly mean, that all's quiet around here. No, sirree! "Halfway House" is a pretty rich roots rock album on which Kwartler is willingly displaying all of his influences. He's mentioning Springsteen, Dylan, Petty, Farrar, Setzer and Guthrie himself, but you can add the names of Tim Easton or The Jayhawks to that list. If you ask us, that kinda completes the picture. Kwartler's pickin' and grinnin' his and our way into the album with the bluesy "You Were There". Next up there's the neatly rockin' "The Ride", slightly reminiscent of Tim Easton's latest efforts (and including some great harmonica work too), the subtle country rock of "Range", drinking from the same well that the Jayhawks once used to frequent (with great slide touches by Mark Spencer of Blood Oranges fame) and the great twosome referring to respectively Wilco and Uncle Tupelo consisting of "Morning Burn" and "Mars". But mind you, all of these references are just helping out to situate Kwartler. In spite of all of these obvious influences "Halfway House" turns out to be an album with a face entirely of its own. Highlights on it are the songs on which Doug Kwartler is tipping his hat to Bruce Springsteen. "Places", opened by a slightly delirious instrumental "Prelude", is one of those. As is the melancholic "Feel Like Sleeping", based on a characteristic "I'm On Fire"-like hook. Or the album's closing couple "Hometown Of My Own" and "Things We never Mention". The first of those two songs sounds a lot like Nebraska-era Springsteen. With a horrible cold adding some extra grit to Kwartler's voice. Simply beautiful! The latter contains some twangy guitar lines, immersing the song in the kind of strange atmosphere that's so characteristic for quite a few of Chris Isaak's songs. Just enjoy hearing Kwartler sing about the darkest of thoughts that even in the best of relationships are left unspoken, fearing their possible consequences. All 'n all "Halfway House" is one hell of a roots rock record, still gaining depth with each spin. That's why we'd like to label it with "Highly recommended!" (Ctrl. Alt. Country e-zine, Belgium, December 2003, www.ctrlaltcountry.be )

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