Press Play: Joe Kaplow

Joe Kaplow is one of many Santa Cruz locals fully committed to the lifestyle of a full-time musician. Kaplow started out by venturing on solo tours across the U.S. for months at a time and developed a treasure trove of weary travelers’ woes. After touring, these woes became commercially available with the release of his self-titled EP in September of 2015.  He introduced his bluesy chops with opening track Bookshop Blues, a catchy tune bubbling with energy. The second track How Old Is My Soul? is a quieter song with fingerstyle guitar and the forlorn whine of a harmonica. He gave listeners a fresh take on folk with his intricate guitar styling and bluesy ballads.

Kaplow recently released his debut album “Time Spent In Between” in April of this year. The album is a beautiful soundscape of low-fidelity folk tunes that are anything but cookie-cutter. Dusk Rattler is by far the grittiest with a wailing horn section and haunting chorus, The best thing I ever had was you my love / The rattlers got me by the throat. Kaplow’s raw instrumentation and rhythmic vocal melodies shine through on track Oklahoma & Texas. The intricate guitar work and earthy harmonies bring the best of folk songwriting. 

Joe Kaplow has a richness in his songwriting that hits exactly where the heart is. It’s a richness reserved for the well-traveled, the imaginative and the bold.