Photo Credit: Eliot Lee Hazel

The enigma that is Josh T. Pearson first made his name at the helm of the epic and apocalyptic post-rock trio Lift To Experience (The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads). Following the band’s dissolution he went solo, releasing the intense Last Of The Country Gentlemen in 2011. Now, after reuniting with LTE and playing a handful of shows, he’s finally knuckled down and recorded his second solo album The Straight Hits!. He went in with a strict five point plan and recorded the album in three days with engineer Matt Pence (who made Mute’s 2017 reissue of The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads sound so vivid) at the controls, Lift To Experience drummer Andy Young once again manning the traps, and Daniel Creamer and Scott Lee Jr. of The Texas Gentlemen on keyboards and bass guitar. The recordings were then flown to the UK to be mixed by Ben Hillier.

Josh T. Pearson’s The Five Pillars:

1) All songs must have a verse, a chorus and a bridge.
2) The lyrics must run 16 lines or less.
3) They must have the word ‘straight’ in the title.
4) That title must be four words or less.
5) They must submit to song above all else. (“You do as she tells you, whatever the song tells you,” Pearson explains. “You bend to her, and not her to you.”)