Jeffrey Silverstein

Nassau co-founder Jeffrey Silverstein has shared the details surrounding his debut How On Earth. Due out early next year through Driftless Recordings, the effort features six ambient-folk songs that were written and recorded during an artist residency at the Sou’Wester Lodge in the small (population: 473) town of Seaview, Washington.

“I woke up each morning to the sound of a light rain coming down on the motor home turned recording studio I was staying in,” explains the singer/multi-instrumentalist. “After coffee and breakfast, I’d hole up writing and making demos, breaking just to make food or warm up by the fire in the main lodge. I’d talk with some of the other guests, put on a Michael Hurley record on their sound system and then get back to it.

He continues, “Having played in bands for the better part of a decade, it was challenging to only have myself to rely on/bounce ideas off of. I wound up meeting Jeremy Reinhold during my time there, who recorded and mixed my EP at his home studio in Portland. At the end of my residence, I performed my first solo set in a decade for folks who were also staying at Sou’Wester. The experience was one I am very grateful for, as it pushed me to continue to explore more ideas I’ve had swirling around in my head for so long.”

Check out the record’s first official single below, along with its back story. Silverstein is also playing a hometown show with The Parson Red Heads and Fort Atlantic at Turn Turn Turn tonight….

When my partner and I moved into our second apartment here in Portland, I noticed a sign for a non-profit next door called All Hands Raised. As a teacher, I was intrigued and knew I wanted to use it for a song title. Turns out our neighbor works for them; they work to address racial inequity in schools and provide pathways for students to living wage jobs.

In May, it was reported that there had been, on average, one school shooting per week this year. As challenging as it has been to follow, I’ve been immensely moved by the work of my own students and students across the country boldly speaking out for gun control. This song is for them. The lyrics are “All hands raised / to say / I am warm and brave / I am more than okay.” - self-titled

The low-hanging gloam of America’s Pacific Northwest is a distinct presence; it traces treetops and seeps between ridges, regularly enchanting the landscape. Jeffrey Silverstein, one half of ambient folk duo Nassau and a relatively new resident of Portland, is a quick study to the region and its atmosphere. He wrote and recorded his debut solo EP in a Ford motorhome-turned-studio nestled on the coast of Washington during a week-long residency. The five songs linger for longer, understated in delivery but rich with purpose; an apt addition to the ever-mindful Driftless Recordings catalog. Today, Silverstein shares the second single from How On Earth, which coincides with the birthday of the song’s inspiration, his late grandmother. Further, “Finds You Well” is paired with a mix. He introduces both, below. “This tune is for my grandmother, Ruth Silverstein, a strong, resourceful, and deeply caring woman. In August, on the last day of driving across the country with my wife to relocate to PDX, I got the call that she had passed. We were on our way to beginning a new chapter of our life – she was doing just the same. It felt like she was coming along for the ride. She always told me, ‘if you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything.’ I always took that to heart and wanted to write a song that honored her spirit.”

“Portland, Oregon has felt like home faster than any city I’ve ever lived in. I am consistently in awe and am grateful for the access to nature that exists inside city limits and the Pacific Northwest at large. Being able to see Mt. Hood from different vantage points is comforting and a consistent reminder of our connection to the natural world. For this mix, I chose songs made primarily from artists who live or have lived in the PNW. The first tune, Yo La Tengo’s ‘Leaving Home’ comes from the soundtrack to Old Joy, one of my favorite road movies of all time. It is entirely shot in the Cascade Mountain range and stars Will Oldham. Thought it would serve as a nice entry point to the rest of the music. Hope you enjoy. Be easy.”
Yo La Tengo – Leaving Home
Grails – Canyon Hymn
Barry Walker – Ediacaran Moonrise
Grouper – Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping
Benoît Pioulard – Foxtail
The Langley Schools Music Project – God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
Michael Hurley – I Stole the Right to Live
Gun Outfit – Landscape Painter
Lake – Breathing
The Microphones – I Felt My Size [Acoustic]
Karl Blau – Thats How I Got to Memphis
Shelley Short – Hills And Tracks
Marisa Anderson – Pulse
Eternal Tapestry – Ancient Echoes
Jeffrey Silverstein – All Hands Raised
Jackie-O Motherfucker – Hey Mr. Sky - Stadiums & Shrines

Readers over at our parent site may remember Jeffrey Silverstein as the ambient-folk auteur behind this Friday’s How on Earth EP. Due out through Driftless Recordings in a limited cassette run, the five-track effort took shape during an artist residency at the Sou’wester Lodge in Seaview, Washington, as the multi-instrumentalist melded spare drum loops with mesmerizing guitar melodies and vapor-trailed vocals.

“I woke up each morning to the sound of a light rain coming down on the motor home turned recording studio I was staying in,” he explains. “After coffee and breakfast, I’d hole up writing and making demos, breaking just to make food or warm up by the fire in the main lodge. I’d talk with some of the other guests, put on a Michael Hurley record on their sound system and then get back to it.”

The following exclusive reveals the results a few days before the record’s official release, along with lyrics and a complete track-by-track commentary. Oh, and if you’re in the Portland area, Silverstein is supporting Wild Moccasins at a Bit House Saloon gig on January 30th….

“GIVEN THE LIGHT”
This was the last tune I wrote during my residency. It’s the only instrumental number on the EP and one I really enjoy playing live. The main riff is meditative; I hope that translates to the listener. It sets the stage for the vibe of the rest of the EP and the title winds up reappearing as a lyric in “Pattern of Joy.”

“PATTERN OF JOY”
“Pattern of Joy” is a reminder to keep pressin’ on and, when possible, to remember or get in tune with at least one positive aspect of your day. I think this creates a habit/pattern that can lead to joy.

As a teacher, I like to start class with a somewhat cheesy activity called roses and thorns. I kind of always expect students to hate it, but am pleasantly surprised how much they get out of it—just hearing from their community about positives and negative parts of their day/week, etc. It builds community in that way.

Hey at last
The day is done
The peace and joy
Of rovin’ on
It’s a pattern of joy
So watch it unfold
The light that’s been given
Beats the light that’s been stole

“MAKE YR PEACE (AND HAVE IT TOO)”
This song started as a riff on the phrase ‘have your cake and eat it too’. It taps into that feeling that even when you’re doing your best to stay healthy and balanced, something is bound to get you off-center eventually.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep heading down the path; it just means you can’t expect to keep the same levelheadedness all the time. You have to really examine all of your thoughts/feelings to get somewhere. I get super frustrated when I feel like I can’t sustain balance for long stretches and am trying to lean into that more to make change.

I want to know the truth
I want to make peace and have it too
I want to know you
I want to make peace and have it too
Jeffrey Silverstein

“ALL HANDS RAISED”
When my partner and I moved into our second apartment here in Portland, I noticed a sign for a non-profit next door called All Hands Raised. As a teacher, I was intrigued and knew I wanted to use it for a song title. Turns out our neighbor works for them; they work to address racial inequity in schools and provide pathways for students to living wage jobs.

In May, it was reported that there had been, on average, one school shooting per week this year. As challenging as it has been to follow, I’ve been immensely moved by the work of my own students and students across the country boldly speaking out for gun control. This song is for them.

I am also a huge believer in music education and music therapy. Writing this one gave me the idea to give a portion of the proceeds for my EP to My Voice Music, a non-profit here in Portland that engages youth in music and performance to promote self-esteem, social skills, and emotional expression.

All hands raised
To say
I am warm and brave
I am more than okay
All hands raised
Today
Singing I am warm and brave
I am more than okay

“FINDS YOU WELL”
On the last day of a cross-country trek to relocate to the Pacific Northwest with my wife and our two cats, I found out my grandmother passed. It was a strange feeling—my life entering a new phase, hers doing just the same. There was also a sense of calm, knowing she went in the company of family in her own home. I was grateful to be processing that information while staring out at the natural beauty of Oregon. I struggled the most recording the vocals on this one as I’m still finding my footing with singing. Still pretty happy with how it came together.

I hope that this finds you well
Though there’s no way I could ever tell
You’ve given so much of yourself
At least we’ve got our health - Self-Centered

As part of the duo Nassau, Jeffrey Silverstein makes music that we’ve previously described as having “a sidewinding tropical lilt, suffused with peach-pink evening light… folk [music] but not as we know it, drawing on ambient and dream pop to transcend the earthy constraints of guitar and percussion, conjuring a sense of space and texture.” Finding himself with too many ideas for just one project, Silverstein took part in an artistic residency at the Sou’wester Lodge in Washington, a move that resulted in not only his first solo performance for a decade, but also a collection of new songs. He then worked with Jeremy Reinhold at the latter’s home studio in Portland, and this EP, How on Earth was born.

Fans of Nassau will be happy to hear that the band’s lush atmosphere is retained, a fact that’s apparent from instrumental opener, ‘Given the Light’. Location plays a big part on How on Earth, and the song makes this clear from the very beginning. Sou’wester Lodge is located in Seaview, a small town near the Oregon border, and this landscape leaves an indelible mark on the sound. Green and grey and misty, the songs are cut from the same cloth as Silverstein’s work with Nassau but less sun-blushed, instead enveloped in fresh air and drizzle. Think Yo La Tengo’s Old Joy soundtrack pushed into dreamier ambient territory. ‘Make Yr Peace (and have it too)’ is a great example, beginning with sounds of the rainforest before unfurling into a beautifully unhurried ambient pop song, the simple lyrics taking on a mantra-like quality as Silverstein repeats them in his gentle and understated manner.

I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH
I WANT TO MAKE PEACE AND HAVE IT TOO
‘All Hands Raised’, a song named after the Portland non-profit, again drifts at its own pace, but at its heart holds a steely message. It was written in response to, or in honour of, the young people across the US who have spoken out to demand gun control. “All hands raised
to say,” Silverstein sings,”I am warm and brave, I am more than okay.”

The album closes with ‘Finds You Well’, a heartfelt ode to Silverstein’s grandmother who passed away as he was driving across country to relocate to Oregon. “We were on our way to beginning a new chapter of our life,” Silverstein tells Stadium & Shrines, “she was doing just the same. It felt like she was coming along for the ride.” It’s a fittingly poignant end to an album that’s infused with a sense of both geography and human feeling.

I HOPE THAT THIS FINDS YOU WELL
THOUGH THERE’S NO WAY I COULD EVER TELL
YOU’VE GIVEN SO MUCH OF YOURSELF
AT LEAST WE’VE GOT OUR HEALTH

How on Earth is out Driftless Recordings, and you can get it on their webstore or via the Jeffrey Silverstein Bandcamp page. - Various Small Flames

Now their friendship has grown beyond that and they've each put out their first solo projects– which they realized were only released a day apart. This pair of friends is gearing up to play the final Big Lawn Music show at The Suttle Lodge together Friday. Ahead of the show, I spoke with them about their respective projects.


"There's something powerful about having your name behind something," Silverstein tells me about making his first solo effort, while on a group call with him and Crowson. Admittedly, Silverstein still gets nervous performing solo, but he's balanced that creative freedom of being the lone operator of his musical direction, appreciating the assistance from Crowson along the way. "Other than my wife, I think you were the only person I showed the music to," laughs Silverstein as he speaks to Crowson.

Silverstein's EP is a collection of folky, ambient songs that float along like a light summer breeze—so much so that the EP might even convince listeners that they're actually outside. "Even though his songs are so ambient, he's still able to follow classic song structure," says Crowson of Silverstein's music. "Sometimes he'll sing the same line over and over throughout the song, so you get to know the true meaning behind it. It becomes sort of a mantra."

"Take This With You" – Alex Crowson
Sometimes life's rough patches inspire the best art. "It was about three years of battling mental illness," recalls Crowson. His mother had passed away due to cancer during that time. Over that span the singer/songwriter says he had most of the project's songs already completely written. It wasn't until Crowson met Silverstein that he began to share music and start performing again. "Alex will have like 10 straight lines in a song that are just pure poetry," gushes Silverstein.

Following a rough time in his life, Alex Crowson credits Silverstein with drawing him back to playing music. - KYLE GLENN
KYLE GLENN
Following a rough time in his life, Alex Crowson credits Silverstein with drawing him back to playing music.
And he isn't wrong. "Take This With You" is about as raw as a collection of songs can be. Crowson sings about the heaviest details weighing on his life in such a vivid manner; the EP plays out like a set of five book chapters. You can feel the heartbreak and hear the burning question of "why?" as Crowson's curiosity about life's ups and downs is on full display. "Jeff has much more experience in all this," says Crowson. "It was great to have him around through the process."

While the two weren't direct collaborators for their projects, there's a clear camaraderie and trust of having one another in their corners—and an excitement of getting to play together in Central Oregon.

"Like most moments in life, it's always better sharing them with the people you love," says Silverstein. - Source Weekly

Stack delivers a mix of the most interesting new music on the web, handpicked by the Hype Machine team. A custom compilation of the week, from our hearts to your inbox

Orion Sun - S T R E T C H (Demo)
Philly-based singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Tiffany Majette filled 2018 with a stream of homespun self-releases drawing comparisons to Frank Ocean. She shared an experimental tape last month and says an album is next.

Mild Minds - Weak Signal
In short time, Australian artist Benjamin David aka Mild Minds has become a favorite on Popular. "Fans of Toro Y Moi's early works will appreciate this," says Stereofox. His debut EP is out on Foreign Family Collective.

KOKOKO! - Azo Toke
Resident Advisor sums up the sound of this group from Democratic Republic Of The Congo: "Clanks and twangs of handmade percussion, DIY string instruments made from recycled street junk, sampled cable feedback and subtle Ableton beats."

Dua Saleh - Warm Pants
Here's a hypnotic, downtempo cut from the debut EP by Sudan-born singer, poet, and activist Dua Saleh, produced by fellow Twin Cities-based artist Psymun, released at the start of the year on local label AGAINST GIANTS.

Jeffrey Silverstein - All Hands Raised
Written in a motorhome-turned-studio in Washington, the new EP of atmospheric folk songs from Jeffrey Silverstein arrives next week via Driftless Recordings, with a portion of proceeds put towards a youth-based non-profit in Portland, Oregon. - Hype Machine

Inside the earthy atmospheres of Jeffrey Silverstein’s new EP ‘How On Earth’

JANUARY 18, 2019 ~ ROBERTO JOHNSON
Nature and music are intimately connected. One of them pertains to the products of the earth, the other is a man-made art form. Both phenomena are transcendent, possessing infinite potential in their ability to create and adapt over the course of time. The essence of nature has long been embedding its way into songs of all kinds, in particular within the realms of folk and ambient music, being a direct source of creativity for endless soundtracks of beauty and serenity.

How On Earth, the new solo EP from Portland-based musician Jeffrey Silverstein is cut from this very cloth. A short collection of moody and atmospheric folk songs, Silverstein’s new project is a fluid representation of the natural world. Written during a stay at an artist residency on the coast of Washington, the five tracks on the release are dominated by the climate of sound they create.

Rich guitar tones drive the music into a hypnotic space, creating a base layer of earthly textures that underlie the sonics on the surface of each track. It’s a slow burning composition that unquestionably reflects the setting which it was created in, but the influences which inform its sound stretch far beyond the Pacific Northwest landscape Silverstein now calls home.

Since starting a career on the east coast, the 31-year old singer and multi-instrumentalist has been a part of a variety of different musical projects, including the since dissembled Baltimore psych-rock outfit Secret Mountains and Brooklyn folk duo Nassau. Since arriving in Portland just over two years ago, Silverstein has gradually worked his way into the heart of the city’s music community.

img_2389

Despite his material being largely instrumental, sonically, his new songs land in the same ballpark as many of the region’s folky singer-songwriters and guitar bands. The ambience-driven nature of his music can be attributed to his own tastes and inspirations. Among his personal favorites is the self-titled release from revered Detroit musician Ted Lucas, an underground masterpiece which he cites was a major influence on How On Earth for its mix of pretty acoustic songs and ambitious instrumental numbers.

On top of its beautiful soundscapes, How On Earth marks a major artistic step forward for Silverstein. The project not only signifies him taking on the creative responsibilities of crafting an album by himself, but also incorporating more singing into the mix on a regular basis. “It’s been a huge goal of mine to get out in front of people with my own songs,” he says. “I was still undecided of whether or not I wanted to sing at all and if I just wanted to make an instrumental record, but I realized that would be me shying away from something I want to work on and figure out. There’s no need for me to say it has to be one way or another.”

With this release, not only is Silverstein progressing as a solo artist, he is seeking to make an impact that goes much further than building a fanbase. “I’m a huge believer in the power of music and education and kids having access to the arts and what that can do for someone,” he adds. Part of the proceeds from How On Earth will benefit My Voice Music, a Portland nonprofit who provides students and children in underprivileged communities with instruments and access to recording studios to practice the arts.

How On Earth is set for release on January 25 on West Coast label Driftless Recordings. For Silverstein, the project may be a brief taster of more to come, but for now, it’s making a bold statement. Its dark, gentle songs make for a warm and engaging listen, and simultaneously, it is making a difference in the very community that supported its creation.

I recently hopped on a phone call with Jeffrey to talk about his new EP. We spoke about the album’s biggest inspirations, what it was like to make a project entirely solo, some of his favorite acts in the Portland circuit right now and more. Check out our conversation below.

img_2390

Q: Give me a little background on yourself. When and how did you start doing music professionally?

Jeffrey: I went to college in Baltimore. That’s where I met Kelly Laughlin who would become the singer of a group I was in for many years called Secret Mountains. It started off just the two of us as kind of a songwriting project and quickly grew into this six piece psych-rock band. We did lots of touring, played festivals all over the place. That was the first city where I felt very involved in the music community and I loved it – booking shows for other people, sleeping on people’s floors on tour and all that. Right as our first record came out that band pretty much imploded (laughs). It took me a minute to recover from that and then I had moved up to New York, where I lived in Brooklyn for six years with my now wife.

Q: Your new EP How On Earth is slated for release at the end of this month. How did you find yourself putting out a record on Driftless Recordings?

Jeffrey: Last March, I did an artist residency on the coast of Washington at this place called the Sou’wester Lodge. They’ve got all these old airstreams that they’ve turned into trailers and one of them they turned into a mini recording studio. I spent like a week there, writing songs and hanging out. I performed a show there at that space and it was my first time performing songs by myself in front of other people in probably ten years.

I was just really happy to get the songs out to the universe in some way, shape or form. I didn’t necessarily feel like this had to be with a label but I already had my eye on Driftless Recordings for a while. I really admire a lot of the artists on the label, I admire the aesthetic, I admire how hard they’re working. I also knew I wanted to work with someone on the West Coast, just from a location standpoint now that I’m out here. Patrick, one of the guys who runs the label and records under the name North Americans – he put out one of my absolute favorite records of 2018 – is really cool, I was just thrilled at how much they were up for it, considering how much I look up to them.

Q: You’ve moved around a bit, spending time and working in Brooklyn and now Portland. How would you describe the artistic communities in both of those places – especially Portland, since that’s where this project was made and because it’s where you’re living now.

Jeffrey: Not that I’ve lived in so many cities, but between Baltimore, New York and here, Portland definitely felt home the quickest, which is a really comforting feeling and something we’re really grateful for. My wife is a freelance illustrator, so we were looking for cities that had artistic scenes for both of us. For me personally, so far the music connections I’ve made have just been really genuine. It doesn’t feel like as much of a competition, which New York can seem like at times. There doesn’t seem to be as many barriers or walls of cliques that you have to break through in order to have a conversation with someone or get a foot in the door.

img_2388

Q: Refocusing on the EP, you describe this group of tracks as ambient folk music, which I think describes it pretty well. It really does have that isolated, Pacific Northwest, cabin-in-the-woods type feel to it. Is that something you were conscious of when you were creating the songs?

Jeffrey: Some of the songs were written in that idyllic setting – it was raining at the artist residency every day while I was there, you know, dreary and gray. It was more so that I’m trying to figure out how to pull from the things that I currently really love about a song or an album from other musicians and also really think about what kind of sounds and what kind of music I want to be making. I’m definitely more interested in instrumental guitar stuff, ambient music and soundscape kind of stuff. I was really just thinking about all those things and how I could make them my own.

Q: One thing I took away from listening to the album is that the music is really comfortable in it’s pacing. Even though it is a little slower, it’s got a nice rhythm to it in the way the songs flow into one another. The drum machines and the subtle instrumental nuances create a nice sense of intimacy. It gives off the vibe that you were really in the zone. Could you elaborate on how creating this record by yourself impacted your creative process when it came to experimenting and fleshing out certain techniques or song ideas?

Jeffrey: We have an apartment where the basement has some drywall over the cement and I’ve been able to carve out a little nook to start working on recordings. Just having access to space to create that’s not necessarily a separate studio has been really crucial to my practice. Also, knowing that if I make some noise down here I’m not really bothering anyone, that’s been a big part of it.

The drum machine thing, I really have started to dig the sound and look of some of these vintage old machines. I’ve seen a couple sets of friends of mine or other artists here using it and I really like the way that it can blend with the sound of a clean electric guitar tone. When I was in other bands, I liked when the drummer just started with anything – it just kind of got my mind going. Now, I just push a different rhythm or set a different tempo and sometimes that’s all I need to start messing around with a new idea.

Q: Diving further into the thematic inspiration that went into this set of songs, specifically on the track “All Hands Raised,” which is a tribute to children around the country who have voiced support for issues like gun control. How did you resonate with that song when you were making it? What was creating it like?

Jeffrey: I was teaching at a high school last year and got to watch a lot of students their rally around that cause and I was super inspired by that. It was obviously a really horrendous year for that in America… I don’t know, I just had my students on my mind when I was writing that one. When we moved in, I actually saw a sign across the street that said “All Hands Raised.” It was actually an education non-profit, so that was the perfect segway into needing a phrase or needing something to ground the words in.


Q: What band or artist is a big inspiration to you that people might not expect?

A: If you’re talking bands that are opposite of my own sound, there’s a heavy metal band called Graveyard that I think are absolutely incredible. They have more of a classic Black Sabbath kind of sound, but they’re all just such unbelievable musicians. There was this really crazy blizzard in New York a few years ago and I think every venue was shut down. They were playing that night and were like ‘Hey, we’re still playing!’ so I went to the show and saw them with like 20 other people that decided to actually make it out into this snowstorm and they blew me away.

Q: What are some other Portland based acts who you really enjoy and would recommend to people right now?

A: Hmm. That’s a good question. There’s a singer-songwriter named Gillian Frances. There’s a band called The Woolen Men who are fantastic. Another band I just heard about, The Lavender Flu, are really cool. I would definitely also say someone else I’ve been really enjoying from this neck of the woods is actually someone I’ve been lucky enough to hop on a few bills and play with, this guy Evan Way. He plays in a band that’s been around town for a minute called The Parson Red Heads. Evan’s been extremely kind to me since being here.

Q: We just kicked off the new year and I imagine you’ll be running with this new project for a little while. On top of that, what does 2019 look like for you music-wise?

Jeffrey: I’m definitely trying to keep up with writing new music just to have new material to throw into my shows and work towards a full LP. I’m kind of starting to think about what format I want that to take. I’m just so excited to get this project out the door in full and then at the potential of maybe getting down to California to play a few shows, get out of town a little bit, maybe play on the coast in Oregon or even in Montana. Just some more small, out of town touring in this general region.

. . . . . .
All images by Alex Kocher. Listen to ‘How On Earth’ on all digital streaming platforms January 25 and pre-order the EP on digital or cassette via Bandcamp. - Riffs and Rhymes

Jeffrey Silverstein is a musician, writer, and educator. He just released his first solo EP titled How on Earth on Driftless Recordings and has played in Secret Mountains and Nassau. He has contributed his writing to Bandcamp Daily, Reverb, Vinyl Me Please, Aquarium Drunkard, Smith Journal, and more. He also co-founded Singles Club, which was a subscription 7-inch vinyl club featuring exclusive releases and content.

In our conversation, we talk about his journey, how he balances full-time and creative work, letting projects end, how all of his work informs each other, his new EP, learning to record, and a whole lot more. Listen above or on iTunes or Spotify.

Show notes
In this episode, we talk about:

how he balances full-time work with creative endeavors
knowing his passions and sticking to them
the heartbreak of your band splitting or project ending
how having an unfulfilling day job left him feeling unmotivated to write or work on passion projects
how creative endeavors have helped him sustain a career teaching special need high school students
also how they’ve informed his teaching style and curriculum
how having the tools has forced him to record his own music
the process of focusing on solo projects
his experience with an artist residency
creating music connected to the natural world
how challenging his own beliefs about himself helped him say no to distractions
learning how to collaborate on Singles Club
the journey to finding a musical style that feels right as an artist
what to look for in a good editor
Ted Lucas as a musical genius and inspiration
the value of sharing your art with at least one other person
why he signed with a label
how regular exercise has changed his life
Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jeffrey’s website
Jeffrey on Instagram and Twitter
His EP, How on Earth
Jeffrey performing live
Driftless Recordings
“How to balance full-time work with creative projects” on The Creative Independent
Piney Wood Atlas
Sou’wester Lodge residency program
Singles Club
Secret Mountains
Cotton Jones
Michael Nau
North American
Bandcamp Daily
Ted Lucas
Yoga Records
My Voice Music
Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back) by Jeff Tweedy - The Process (podcast)

Jeffrey Silverstein—an independent artist based in Oregon—is releasing his first EP, How On Earth, on January 25th. His down-to-earth sound is both beautiful and calming, and his talent is unmatched. I had the amazing opportunity to chat with him about both his music and his roots.

Can you introduce yourself for those who may not know you?

Yea! My name is Jeffrey Silverstein and I’m a musician and teacher from Portland, Oregon.



How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t listened to you?

I’ve been using the tag “ambient folk music” just because there’s certainly some natural sounds that you’ll find. Nature is spread throughout the recordings as well as electric guitar and vocals. There’s parts that lean towards folk and singer-songwriter music, and there’s parts that lean more towards instrumental and ambient music. I’m trying to bridge the gap there.



Can you tell us about your new EP?

Yea, [the EP is releasing] on January 25th on Driftless Recordings, which is based in LA and run by Joel Ford and Patrick McDermot. Patrick actually records and releases music under the name North Americans and put out an album in 2018 called “Going Steady”. I’m really, really excited to be working with them, and I’ve admired their work for a while, so it’s exciting to be a part of “Team Driftless”.



What is your favorite part about creating your music?

[Performing on my own] has been new and different for me. I’ve been in bands for over a decade at this point, so this is my first go at not really having other people to rely on and to bounce ideas off of. It’s really just all myself, and that has been a real challenge, but it’s a really welcomed challenge for me. I’ve kind of recently liked the idea of not relying on other people or writing with other people in mind. I’ve been writing with myself in mind, and that has really pushed me to get comfortable with my guitar abilities and vocal abilities. It’s been a huge learning curve and learning process for me. Even just starting to make demos of my music on my own instead of that being someone else’s role. It’s been very confidence-building and independent.



What do you do to get yourself in the right mode for writing?

I’ve attempted to work out a pretty good balance of work life, meditation, exercise. I feel like if I really nail all of those things and feeling grounded and centered, it sets me up in a better place to be creative. It feels like I have to work hard to have all of those things supporting one another. My wife and I moved into an apartment [in Portland] where we have an unfinished basement, so I kind of like the space to work on things. I feel very grateful for that, and that is a huge part of it. Having all of your stuff set up and ready to go is a huge part of it, right? Instead of having to re-set up every time or move a bunch of stuff around, just to walk downstairs and having everything good-to-go lowers the barrier of getting started. I’m certainly guilty, even having all those things, of being sleepy from work or whatever it is. I’m just trying to form good habits.



Was there a moment where you knew you wanted to create music?

I’ve been obsessed for as long as I can remember. There was definitely a moment in eighth or ninth grade where I think I got hurt badly at a baseball practice where I thought “maybe I’m done with sports now”, and all my friends were picking up electric guitar and basses and making bands. Around that time, it was everyone’s first attempt. Even at that time, I just became quickly obsessed. One of my oldest and best friends was the drummer of my first band, and I would get off the bus, run home, grab my guitar, and sprint down the road [to his house]. It’s just an early example of when I knew I wanted to work hard at that. In regards to doing it somewhat more professionally, it was really the band I was in out of college when I lived in Baltimore. It was a band called Secret Mountains, we put out a few EPs, an LP, played some festivals, and did a good deal of touring. That was my first experience being heavily involved in the music community, booking shows, doing RL and PR, setting up tours, and all that. At that moment in time, I thought “this is something I love and feel that I’m good at and I should find ways to keep doing that”.



Do you have any specific goals for 2019 music-wise?

I’m really excited to get the EP out. I’ve only played about 10 shows by myself, so I’m really hoping to continue the playout in Portland as much as I can to get my chops up. I’d love to do a couple of weekend runs or maybe small tours down to California, down to where the Driftless folks are in LA. [I want to] play it out more and kind of lay down the ground work for my first full length [album]. - Give Me A Try Magazine

Jeffrey Silverstein is a musician, special education teacher, and writer based in Portland, Oregon. He is ½ of the bi-coastal duo Nassau. Jeffrey Silverstein’s debut solo EP is called How On Earth is described as a “collection of ambient-folk songs” written as part of an artist-in-residence program at the Sou’Wester Lodge on the coast of Washington.

The origins of How On Earth began In March of 2018 Silverstein lived, wrote, and demoed material inside a vintage Ford Motorhome turned recording studio for a week. The songs capture the natural beauty of the PNW and Silverstein’s notable shift towards a more patient mindset and songwriting approach since relocating from Brooklyn, New York. His tools are minimal – guitar, a handful of pedals, vintage drum machine and lyrics that read more like mantras than stories. Thematically the songs touch upon joy, education, and losing a loved one.

After some fine tuning, Silverstein tracked and mixed the EP with Jeremy Reinhold at his home studio in a quiet neighborhood of SW Portland. Reinhold, who scores and composes music for the Portland Ballet helped give the songs a gentle, swaying movement.

Jeffrey Silverstein on “All Hands Raised”:

As I work as a full-time special education teacher, this track is a homage to students everywhere. It’s been difficult to watch the number of school shootings in the news and I wanted to find a way to honor the young folks bravely speaking out against gun violence. The only lyrics read”All hands raised, to say, I am warm and brave, I am more than okay.” How On Earth is set for release on Driftless Recordings (Ellie Herring, Young Ejecta) in early 2019.

How On Earth will be available on cassette and digital. Silverstein also plans to give a portion of the proceeds of physical sales to My Voice Music – a non-profit here in Portland who engage youth in music and performance to promote self-esteem, social skills, and emotional expression

pre-order How On Earth digital and cassette here - Northern Transmissions

I’ve been joyfully welcoming folk back into the pop and indie scenes for more than a decade. I remember the first time I heard Mumford & Sons on my favorite alt radio station, at the release of their first album, and I rejoiced. I grew up in a serious folk family, and all I had ever wanted was for our generation to make it popular again. We need our own Bob Dylans and Kingston Trios. Jeffrey Silverstein is creating indie folk with gusto.

“All Hands Raised” is a quiet, weird ode to the folk tradition and the sounds of the outdoors. Every reverberated note over a cricket call makes me think of the summers I spent as a backpacking guide in North Carolina. It’s a memory getting tucked in for the night; nostalgia that’s only sweet, without any heartache.

Silverstein invokes Bon Iver and Ben Howard in quiet night tunes that sound downright natural. Sure, the forest noises help, but it’s more the music that reaches you. If you’ve ever spent a night in a sleeping bag staring at the stars, then you know “All Hands Raised” already.

Hear it below:

Wm - Left Bank Magazine

The landscapes of the Pacific Northwest seemed imbued in the melodies and song structure of folk-poet Jeffrey Silverstein’s rousing track Finds You Well.This lush guitar ballad is a dedication to the artist’s grandmother composed to honour the memory of her kindness and generosity. It definitely makes itself a place in our hearts and souls and we believe it shall wind you too. The track was lifted from recent release How On Earth issued earlier this year via Driftless Recordings. - Diamond Deposits

What happens when a new music review show reviews a review of the last episode? Basically, things get super meta when our pal Michael drops us a voicemail this week. Also, we check out some great new music from Business Of Dreams, Rosie Tucker, Jeffrey Silverstein, Royal Canoe, Danc Francia, and Tropa Magica! PLUS you too can get your voice (or perhaps an awkwardly read transcription of your message) on the show by calling (408) SUB-INEV, or (408) 782-4638! - BTRtoday - Breakthru Radio

INTERVIEW: Jeffrey Silverstein
Jeffrey Silverstein is an ambient-folk artist based in Portland, Oregon. At the beginning of the year, he released his debut EP, How On Earth. He is also giving a portion of his physical sales to a non-profit organization out of Portland called My Voice Music. This organization engages the youth in music and performance to promote self-esteem, social skills, and emotional expression. Recently, Liz got the opportunity to interview Jeffrey about his music, upcoming shows, and more.

First question is: how would you describe yourself musically?

“Yeah, I’ve been describing the current sound as ambient-folk music, just ‘cause I kind of really enjoy combining natural sounds that you would maybe kind of hear more out in nature as your cruising around, mixed with more traditional, folk, or kind of singer-songwriter material. I am interested in kind of how those two worlds overlap.”

What inspired you to start making music?

“Let’s see, I grew up in a house where we always had music on and listened to music on long roadtrips in the car. I think in regards to writing my own music, it was kind of once I started to college and was in a band in Baltimore, I really felt like a part of a music community, for the most part. I got to experience the joy of collaborating with other people, of touring, and of booking shows for other bands. Just kind of lifting people up in the way of supporting, like other bands did for us, too. I think once I had that feeling once, I was just hooked. I’m a teacher during the day and I’m a freelance writer, and yet I have always figured out, one way or another, how to create music… It’s helped me through pretty much every scenario I can imagine and I enjoy sharing that with others. I hope that other people figure out a way they can have that same feeling in one way or another.”

You said before you leaned more towards the ambient-folk music genre; can you elaborate more on why you gravitate towards that genre?

“Yeah, sure. I think in general, almost without me recognizing it, I think I can become a person that gets easily overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed quite naturally. I almost kind of use that type of calming music to try to ground me. The feedback I have gotten around some of the music I make is that, you know, it’s calming, it’s peaceful, it’s mellow. And maybe those are some of the attributes that I enjoy from other people and also it’s sort of what I’m aspiring to be. So, I think it all kind of ties in there a bit personality wise. And also, kind of, as I begin to grow out of certain styles of music that I used to listened to, heavier music, louder music, I have really drifted towards instrumental music, instrumental guitar music, and songs that maybe only have few lyrics in them, but are still really powerful.”

What inspired you to give a portion of the physical sales to My Voice Music?

“Yeah, so like I said, I’m a special education teacher. This is my fifth year teaching and I have also been lucky enough to teach songwriting classes. It’s just one of my biggest joys seeing when someone kind of gets to create music for the first time. That could be on the computer or using a guitar, and noticing what that can really do for someone's spirit, how much that can help with mental health, and overall confidence is amazing. They provide youth with recording studios that they can come and access, and they (My Voice Music) are just doing really phenomenal work. I think now, more than I ever, I just wanted to figure out a way to give back because I think music has given so much to me.”

That’s really nice. I really like that. You mentioned to us earlier that you have an upcoming show, can you tell us more about that?

“Yeah, my next show is on March 23rd, here in Portland. I’m really excited because one of the guys who runs Driftless Recordings, which I put out music through, he has a project called North Americans. He is coming to Portland for the first time. So, I’m actually going to be meeting my label and making a new buddy for the time. And, I’m getting to see him perform, which I’m so excited about. He put out a record last year called Going Steady, which is also a very calming, soothing folk record featuring a lot of other artists I love. The other band that is playing are friends of mine here in town and they’re called Mouth Painter. Actually, half of that band also released music on Driftless Recordings, so it almost feels like a little bit of a Driftless family reunion, which will be really fun. The WayPost is one of my favorite places that I have gotten to play here in Portland so far. It’s a small venue, really intimate, and just really kind people that work there which goes a long way, especially for newer and/or traveling artist.”

Lastly, what advice would you give to someone who wants to start out in the music industry?

“Just try to figure out the parts of yourself that you want to get across through music. Then, be open and honest exploring those. I think take your time, don’t rush, and just seek advice from others, but also just trust yourself and know that you know yourself better than anyone. The most important thing is whether or not you like the music you’re making. I reference it all of time. But there is a song by Wilco and it goes, “if you feel like singing along and you want other people sing along, then just sing what you feel, don’t let anyone say it’s wrong.” That’s good advice, so just listen to that Wilco song.”

A special thank you to Jeffrey for doing the interview with us and being so kind! Stream How On Earth on SoundCloud here, and don’t forget to follow Jeffrey’s socials linked down below!

Instagram: jeffreee

Twitter: futuremyth - Welcome Home Magazine

Ambient folk artist Jeffrey Silverstein approached us after seeing his fellow Portland resident Haley Heynderickx in our Top 5 Albums of 2018.


Now, ahead of the release of his new EP ‘How On Earth’ (out via Driftless Recordings on 25 January), he talks us through five songs that have shaped his sound.



Jack Adkins – ‘American Sunset‘


This tune was yet another find via one of the best and longest standing music blogs, Aquarium Drunkard. It’s the title track to a private press psych folk LP under the same name released in 1984. When I heard it for the first time, it was almost exactly what what I had in mind when starting to record my EP – drum machine, clean guitar and minimal, almost spoken vocals. Reminded me of what I really loved about the first Daughn Gibson record, All Hell. Apparently this LP was originally limited to 500 copies and is now available on digital thanks to Numero Group.



Peals – ‘Essential Attitudes‘


Peals have been one of my favorite instrumental groups since the release Walking Field, their first LP for Thrill Jockey. A duo comprised of members of Baltimore acts Future Islands and Double Dagger, I admire how quickly they can establish a mood. Very into the drum sound on this one and it’s my go to music for focusing. Just very pleasant music to have on in so many different environments, which is something I hope listeners get with my own recordings.



North Americans – ‘Going Steady‘


Patrick McDermott, aka North Americans, is ½ of the team behind Driftless Recordings. I’ve admired his work from a far for quite some time so it’s a big deal for me to release music with the label. This is the title track from his latest album, one of my favorites of 2018. I am drawn to the format Patrick took to create these songs – beautiful instrumental guitar music + layered soundscapes/ambient drones and then inviting members of his music community to make guest appearances. This one features Julianna Barwick and Meg Duffy (Hand Habits). Just beautiful music that I learn something from with each listen.



Chayns – ‘Live with the Moon‘


Found this one on another my favorite sites for music discovery – Reverberation Radio. Was immediately drawn to the guitar playing on this one and have had it on repeat ever since.



Mountain Man – ‘Baby Where You Are‘ (Ted Lucas)


Was thrilled to get a new Mountain Man record this year and my jaw was just about to the floor when I heard their cover of Ted Lucas’ ‘Baby Where You Are.’ Ted’s self-titled LP has been long out of print until a reissue from Yoga Records this year. I loved Mountain Man’s take on the tune and will always be drawn to songs that can say so much with so little (especially very few lyrics). - Spectral Nights

* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Jeffrey Silverstein — a writer-musician-teacher out of Portland, Oregon whose first EP of solo material ‘How On Earth’ will be dropping on Driftless Recordings in early 2019 (but the first single is up on Spotify & was also recently featured in the ongoing HI54 ‘420 ≠ ALL DAY’ mix cd).

#1 - WHAT IS THE ONE ALBUM (OR EP OR SONG) THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE THE VERY NEXT MUSICAL THING THAT EVERYONE PRESSES PLAY ON THE NEXT TIME THEY FIND THEMSELVES THINKING “WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NOW”?
Ted Lucas - It’s So Easy.This is my favorite cut from the sole-published album from Detroit’s Ted Lucas.


Thanks to a Yoga Records reissue, the album is now more readily available on wax. It’s a damn near perfect folk/psych record. Favorite lyrics - “We’ve got to trust each other blindly / only then will we have eyes to see / what we make of love it never comes easy / our hearts are tempered by adversity.”

#2 - WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE OR TV SHOW THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE NEXT IN EVERYBODY’S NETFLIX QUEUE (OK, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NETFLIX, WE’RE ALL INTERNET ADULTS HERE AND KNOW HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ONLINE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)?
Going to cheat here and do one movie and one TV show.

TV - “The Deuce” on HBO. I’ve always been a huge fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s and she is incredible in this show created by David Simon (“The Wire” and “Treme”).


Movie - “Leave No Trace”. Always nice to watch a movie that’s shot in your city. This film follows a father and his teenager daughter who have lived off the grid for years in Portland, Oregon. Beautiful soundtrack and legendary PDX folk singer Michael Hurley even makes an appearance!


#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE BOOK STORE (OK, PROBABLY AMAZON) TO FIND THE VERY NEXT BOOK THAT I WILL BE PUTTING SOME EXTREMELY VALUABLE ‘ME-TIME' ASIDE FOR. WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU GET, IF YOU WERE ME (AND, I SUPPOSE, YOU HADN’T ALREADY READ WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SUGGEST)?
Stoner by John Edward Williams. Beautiful novel first published in 1965 that is often heralded as a lost classic.

stoner-1240x930.jpg
The book follows the life of William Stoner, born at the end of the 19th century into an extremely poor Missouri farming family. Stoner is set the the state university to study agronomy however winds up falling in love with english literature and embraces a scholar’s life, more or the less the opposite of what he’s known. From there, a series of misfortunes (failed marriage, estrangement from family, etc) all force Stoner to take a deeper look inward. I love the simple prose and the beauty Williams can adhere to even life’s most mundane moments.

#4 - WHAT IS THE ONE WEBSITE (OR JUST ANY OLD INTERNET THING: APP, GIF, SERVICE, WHATEVER) THAT YOU WOULD GET REALLY DOWN IN THE DUMPS ABOUT IF IT WERE TO SUDDENLY GO AWAY?
Any of the political videos from Bad Lip Reading. My partner and I have a good chunk of them memorized. Never gets old to me.


Also - the Creative Independent is a current favorite of mine. They give practical and concrete advice for creatives from some of the brightest minds across film, music, visual art and so much more. Wish more sites were as proactive as they are and less reactionary.

#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.
At least just once, if you are making art of any kind, share it with other people. Play a song you wrote for a friend, read your poems at an open mic, it doesn’t matter what form it takes. I’m realizing more and more the powerful connections that can happen when people are vulnerable, open, and share their work. - High Five For...

Blended Genres

Sarah Louise‘s timbre may be ambient, but she incorporates drone, folk, new age, and on Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars, a heavy dose of psychedelica. On lead single Chitin Flight, she strums and plucks the acoustic guitar while singing wordlessly as if enraptured by the world (Thrill Jockey, January 25). Also utilizing vocals is Stockholm’s female duo Orphan Ann, who speak and chant against light seas of synths and beats. Debut album The Practice of Surrender is out January 25 on Moloton. This season will also bring a shoegaze EP from Jeffrey Silverstein, who offers a loving dedication to his grandmother on Finds You Well. His debut release How On Earth blends vocal and instrumental pieces, and a portion of the proceeds will be given to a local charity that supports youth involvement in the arts (Driftless Recordings, January 25). - A Closer Listen

Jeffrey Silverstein provides the perfect blend of ambient and folk vibes. Put on a track of his and find yourself drifting off to a happier place. Keep an eye out for his first solo EP How On Earth, to be released via Driftless Recordings on 1/25. We know we will! - Quadio

Portland guitarist Jeffrey Silverstein’s Nassau duo with Justin Wilcox sounds like a cross between Durutti Column and a less bombastic Fleet Foxes. Their 2017 album Heron elicits peaceful, easy feelings. Now on his own, Silverstein has cut an EP for the great Driftless Recordings titled How on Earth, and the feelings are even more peaceful and easy. (He wrote these pieces while serving as an artist-in-residence at Sou’wester Lodge in Seaview, Washington.) Backed by laid-back drum-machine beats, Silverstein looses spangly globules of six-string magic while occasionally singing in hushed tones. He calls this stuff “ambient-folk songs,” but the emphasis is on the former word. Against the odds, Silverstein has created a sweet strain of chill-out tapestries that’s as relaxing as a trip to your favorite nature retreat… which may be in Seaview. - The Stranger