Martin Devaney and Folios August 27th, 7:30pm

West 7th is home to Martin Devaney – and he was part of our first series of concerts. We are thrilled to have him back.

BIOGRAPHY: Veteran Saint Paul songwriter Martin Devaney announces the release of Dispatch, the debut album from his new project Folios. Dubbed the “Unofficial Mayor of St. Paul,” Devaney has made a name for himself over the last 20 years as a folk/Americana artist, but his new songs are going in a different direction, channeling both his literary roots and his love of lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll…or as he calls it, “Cardigan Rock.”

Starting a new chapter in his musical life, he felt like this was the time to launch a project he had been dreaming of for some time. “I’ve been trying to break up with myself for years,” Devaney laughs. “It’s just ironic that my new music under the name Folios is probably my most personal yet.” 

Already beginning to feel a need to shake things up, Devaney’s life and music had a sudden and seismic shift, when he was hospitalized in September of 2020. “It was pretty serious,” he says. “And while I was recovering and quitting drinking, I bought a little parlor guitar that’s been dubbed Little Canada. It was the first guitar I’ve bought in fifteen years and the songs just started coming. I wrote clearly and with more passion than any time since my early twenties.” The results: over 40 new songs and a new fan-funded album. 

Written and recorded at his home during the pandemic, he sang all the vocal parts and played all the instruments–guitars, keyboards, toy piano, saxophone, harmonica, percussion and bucket drums. Then he teamed up with Tom Herbers (Low, Soul Asylum, Trampled By Turtles, Charlie Parr) who mixed and mastered it. The stripped down sound and personal songwriting gives the album an intimate late-night vibe, like we are hanging out with him in his basement, swapping stories and sharing our darkest fears and brightest hopes. From the sunny “Weekend Holiday” to the dreamy “No Line in the Sand” to the stubborn song of resilience “Bad Penny,” the tracks sound like familiar companions, guiding us through a season of change and personal transformation.

Sent from his home in St. Paul to broken spirits around the world, Devaney’s Dispatch reassures us that despite our many missteps, everything will work out, somehow, in the end.

TICKETS & LOGISTICS: There are no tickets. For all shows we request a $15 donation/adult, with 100% of the proceeds going to the artist. (No one will be turned away based on the ability to pay, and people can contribute more because 100% goes to the artist.)

Address: 273 Goodhue Street

Seating is first come first served, with the gate open at 6:30. We ask that you bring your own chair/blanket, and anything that you like to eat or drink. (Adult beverages allowed.) We provide an onsite bathroom in our house. No animals allowed.

SOCIAL AND LINKS:

• www.foliostheband.com
• Twitter: @foliostheband
• Instagram: @martin_devaney
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martindevaneymusic