Peter Mulvey – ‘Are You Listening?’ (album stream) (premiere)

Peter Mulvey is a true musical craftsman, developing and refining his approach through genre experimentation and 25 years of hard work writing and playing all over the world. Even after 17 albums, Mulvey’s creative juices continue to flow strong. Noted singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco who has produced Mulvey’s new album says, “Mulvey has been honing his craft for many a decade, and it shows. He can play some badass guitar, sing to touch your heart, and write a song that will knock you down, and by knock you down, I mean lift you up.”

Mulvey’s latest work, Are You Listening?, will release this Friday through DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. As the title suggests, the album’s central theme is that of listening to others, a concept that seems harder and harder to come by in this shouty age of social media and polarizing politics. Mulvey reaches beyond those challenges to craft a universal message that uplifts and attempts to arrive at a sense of understanding.

Mulvey tells PopMatters that the record would never have gotten made without Ani. I couldn’t see a thing from where I was, just down in the mine, shoveling songs, throwing them up over my shoulder. Then I straightened up, turned to Ani”What do you hear in this mess?” and she knew EXACTLY what to do. Her band. Her house. Her studio. Her ears. She was listening all along.”

TOUR DATES

March 24 – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 – New York, NY

March 25 – Philadelphia Folksong Society – Philadelphia, PA

March 26 – Jammin Java – Vienna, VA

April 1 – Beal House – Kingston, MA

April 2 – Nelson Odeon – North Cazenovia, NY

April 6 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA

April 7 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA

April 8 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA