Light and dark. Good and evil. Predator and prey. If you’re searching for a well-balanced meal in a world filled with junk-food music experiences, pick up Joe Stamm Band’s newest concoction: Wild Man.
Ever since their inception in 2013, JSB has offered distinct storytelling mixed with their signature Black Dirt Country Rock sound. A sound that Stamm defines as “a nod to our Midwestern roots, as well as the Red Dirt music scene, which has had a big influence on our music.”
From playing in middle-of-nowhere dives to being named Peacemaker Fest’s 2023 “Emerging Artist of the Year,” Stamm has earned the grit and stage presence to support artists like Chris Knight, Shane Smith and the Saints, Tyler Childers, Whiskey Myers, Charles Wesley Godwin and more. It’s the same rough-edged outlaw spirit from his early days that fans will hear in Fort Smith, an EP produced in partnership with Peacemaker Fest that sounds best when driving with the windows down. And it’s the same spirit Joe brings to any stage and every audience today.
The band’s third full-length studio album – recorded and produced at Treasure Isle Studios in Nashville – puts thought-provoking stories to a country-rock score. Fans will recognize the classic-rock-inspired riffs from Dave Glover’s lead guitar throughout Wild Man. They’ll also pick up on Bruce Moser’s fortifying bass lines and Tim Kramp’s dynamic drum performances. The words – specifically, how they sound in Stamm’s larger-than-life voice – are what really stand out on this record.
The album kicks off with the title song, inspired by a man referenced in the New Testament whose demons Jesus casts out and into the pigs feeding nearby. The song’s Zeppelin-esque words, “Where two men meet with the chaos in their eyes…Where the owl flies hunting for the snake, the wild man gives me back my name,” make the listener wonder: Which of the two men is the wild one?
As the record twists and turns, listeners will experience the gambit of human emotions. Nostalgia. Curiosity. Hurt. Hope. Acceptance. The things we choose to remember and the things we have yet to reckon with. It’s the nuance within our feelings, memories, and dreams that Stamm’s lyrics grab ahold of. A songwriter of his caliber knows mucking around in this nuance isn’t an easy job – but it’s certainly rewarding.
While Wild Man masterfully bends the boundaries of rock, country, and Americana, there’s a throughline from start to finish. The seemingly little, everyday choices we make – that Stamm’s characters make – create a patchwork of a life. Of light and dark. Good and evil. Predator and prey.
