The biggest key to developing as a songwriter is to just keep doing it. You must be prolific in writing songs as much as you possibly can and then be aware enough to pick apart those songs and strive to make them better. Our latest find J. Schnitt takes this very seriously and it shows.
The Utica, New York native has independently released 14 albums. That is a lot of songwriting! J. Schnitt’s music is tough to pinpoint as there are elements of folk, country, alt-rock, and experimental genres. When you take the time to focus on the lyrics you see that he is a talented poet as well. He has taken his exotic sound on the road as well winning over fans throughout the Northeast US as well as in Ireland and Eastern Europe. Due to his prolific nature he plays with other bands as well to get out all the music that is inside of his head. In addition to his solo work and his band The Archipelagos, some of his many and ever changing side projects include playing lead guitar with The Real Burnouts and piano and accordion with folk rock band The Neon Marias.
The latest solo record by J. Schnitt is the omnipresent War Tubas. The full length 14 track album was performed, produced, and recorded by the songwriter himself. The opener “Saddest Sitcom Writer” brought to my mind a mellowed out Elvis Costello upon first listen. The lyrical phrasing of J. Schnitt stands out and draws in the listener. On the standout “Belly Of A Bird” there seems to be random sounds and beats coming at you from every angle. The sound is raw and again draws the listener in for a closer listen. The dust bowl folk and country genres show up on “The Long Distance Runner”. The minimal instrumentation gives the song a warm campfire kind of feel. The closing title track “War Tubas” is a very pretty song that uses a piano fill drive it forward and build to an anthemic chorus. This is an album that demands a full listen. Give it to yourself at: http://jschnitt.wix.com/
