Introducing - 'Rube Waddell'

Dear Friends -

I have a new group and a new record to share!

I met Jerod Sommerfeldt in 2008 in the electronic music studio at the University of Cincinnati.  We were new to town and excited to be meeting new musicians, but it was immediately clear that we shared interests that went far beyond music.  Over the years we’ve stayed close, made music together, supported each other, and, needless to say, I consider him one of my closest friends.  

Jerod’s music can range from groovy, digital click . . .

. . . to austere, spiritual meditations . . .

During the lockdown, every Thursday afternoon we would Zoom for an hour.  Sometimes we would just talk, but most weeks we would improvise together. There was never any talk about how to get gigs or where we might perform; it was a return to music making as a way to be in the world, simply for the act itself.   

But, we would always hit record, and we dutifully archived our sessions. Over the summer we looked up (as the rest of the world did too) and we found that we had a glut of material that we were excited about. Since then, we’ve been working on producing a record, Road Julep, and redefining our duo under the moniker of Rube Waddell.  

We are proud to announce that on Feb. 1, Road Julep, the debut offering from Rube Waddell, will hit Bandcamp on the Belts and Whistles label!

Mix two parts gravel with a glug of Kentucky moonshine - top with a sprig of mint - and you’ve got Road Julep, the debut album from Rube Waddell. Spliced, edited, and mixed from hours of distance-recorded improvisations, this album hones in on the sweet spot between indulgent noise bath and haptic euphoria.  Test your mettle while acknowledging your need for the finer things.

Physical cassettes are available for preorder today.  

If you’ve never heard of Rube Waddell, he’s one of the most eccentric characters in the history of professional baseball. As a left-handed pitcher, he had an incredible number of strike-outs during an era in which there weren’t many. (Oh, how the game has changed!) But it’s his unpredictable behavior that he’s most infamous for. Easily distracted during games, he would chase after fire trucks, walk off the mound to pet puppies in the stands, or just leave the ballpark entirely to go fishing.

We hope that our music helps you to tap into that unruly feeling: the one that tells you that anything is possible, all of the time.

until next time - thanks for listening -

Paul