We’re bringing you some different sounds today thanks to “gospel fuzz” group Dr. Joe and our exclusive premiere of their new video “Tell Your Mother.” Filmed at St. Elmo Sound Stage in Austin, Texas, the song was produced by the Grammy Award-winning producer Vance Powell and is the first single from the group’s debut album due in September.
Fuzz gospel is a sub-genre and term essentially coined by Dr. Joe themselves and it derives from the type of big gospel sounds and 1960’s rock n’ roll energy on which band leader Joe Sparacino was raised. He coined it “fuzz gospel” as a result of the gospel chords and vocal harmonies that that type of music typically contained. What’s different is that Dr. Joe’s sound is crunchy and distorted which Sparacino achieved through running a century-old piano through a guitar amp. With musical experimentation such as this, you could expect it to sound thick and big sounding, which it does, achieving a sound completely original to Dr. Joe.
Their sound is incredibly original, using no guitars and instead relying on a 1922 piano with 5 octaves and 68 notes. They use vintage, analog recording equipment too, eschewing conventional instruments and methods of recording. If you want something original and completely outside of the box, then Dr. Joe is the new band for you! The gang will play a hometown show on February 14th at The Parish and then tour the U.S. until their South-By-Southwest date on March 15th. Be sure to check out the tune on Spotify today!
