The new album by Fishboy: Bravest Neighbor is here! For my eighth album, I tell the story of 11 neighbors living in a cul-de-sac who collectively share a journal through a little library. Writing about which neighbor they think is the most brave, each character has a song in which they are the narrator, and a song in which they are the subject. It’s intentionally designed as a puzzle for you to compare the different definitions of courage. I think almost every line is a reference to something somewhere else in the album, so re-listener is rewarded. I hope that you walk away feeling a little bit more brave each time.
I wrote this in 2022 through 2024, taking walks in my city, thinking about what, if anything, I could contribute with my art to the small and larger world around me. What could I make that would help me become a stronger, more courageous person (TBD, I suppose).
In 2025, Eric San, aka Kid Koala, invited me to Montreal to help expand on my home recordings. I flew with a drive full of songs and left a week later with a near-complete album full of weird, unique sounds and more confident performances. Eric was not only invaluable as an engineer but as a fellow storyteller and (somehow) supreme Fishboy fan. Every time I would second-guess myself, he had my back and reassured me or pointed me in the right direction. The stories became clearer, the performances became more vulnerable, and the sounds more unique.
I brought it home and with a little help from Mark Glick, Bret Crow and Sam Escalante, I figured out the rest of the puzzle.
I dropped the mix into the lap of the incredible Matt Pence, who added a few drums along the way. He treated it like his own and backed up my weird vision at every turn.
January of 2026, Matthew Barnhart mastered the album and indulged my odd Prince Master side quest that blew up in my own face in the best way possible.
The album is meant to be a first step in a larger project. A full graphic novel of adapted lyrics is coming later this year, with a larger live show adaptation.
Thank you for the continual support of my art and ideas. Much love, - Eric.
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