Transmissions :: Jake Xerxes Fussell

As the son of folklorist, photographer, and artist Fred C. Fussell, Jake Xerxes Fussell spent time on the road with his father, documenting the sound and feel of blues singers, indigenous fiddlers, and performers whose songbooks reached back generations. He joins us to discuss musical deep time and his latest When I’m Called.

Jake Xerxes Fussell :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview

The quality of Jake Xerxes Fussell’s output has stayed remarkably consistent over his first five albums, but his confidence in his abilities as an interpreter and the audacity of his song selection continue to grow. The nine songs on his newest, When I’m Called, gather out of the vastness of the past few centuries of sung songs to talk to one another, elaborate on one another, and thread each other through with intertwined meaning.

Jake Xerxes Fussell :: Good and Green Again

Fusell’s latest, Good and Green Again, doesn’t signal a major shift in the singer-guitarist’s approach, but it might be his best effort yet. His elegant and earth fingerpicking has always been a highlight, but here it’s Jake’s vocals that really capture (and keep) your attention. He’s singing a bit sweeter, a bit softer, this time around, taking us deeper into these ancient, elemental tunes, as well as a handful of originals.

Jake Xerxes Fussell :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview

For his fourth and latest album, Good and Green Again, Fussell worked with James Elkington to bring rich, subtle shadings to these reconstructed songs, achieving a melancholy clarity and modern-day resonance in music first conceived centuries ago. We spoke earlier this year about how he finds personal meaning in old songs, why he respects but doesn’t emulate the note-for-note recreators, and how the way you hear traditional music can change as you change over time.

Jake Xerxes Fussell :: Out of Sight

His first album recorded with a full band (featuring fellow like-minded traveler Nathan Bowles on drums), Out of Sight sees Fussell fixing his gaze on songs from a wide variety of sources and locales, though the treatment they receive is the same—compassionate, revelatory, and seemingly effortless. It’s no small wonder the likes of Bill Callahan and Will Oldham count themselves among Fussell evangelists.

Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard :: June 2025

Freeform transmissions from Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard on dublab. Airing every third Sunday of the month, RFAD on dublab features the pairing of Tyler Wilcox’s Doom and Gloom from the Tomb and Chad DePasquale’s New Happy Gathering. This month, Chad kicks it off with some languid summertime folk & woozy dream pop, and Tyler follows with some singer-songwriter-ish zones. Sunday, 4-6pm PT.

Pink Cloud Motel :: A Mixtape

Sixteen tracks spread over two continents, it’s springtime at the Pink Cloud Motel. Hyacinth and citrus with the windows rolled down half mast — shades of palm fronds, fresh cut grass, 501 cutoffs, Modelo and watery domestics. Late check-outs encouraged …

Sam Moss :: Swimming

Sam Moss’s new LP boasts an exceptional backing band — Joe Westerlund on earthy percussion; Isa Burke on deeply felt lead guitar, violin and banjo; Sinclair Palmer on rich double bass; and Molly Sarlé on haunting harmonies. Jake Xerxes Fussell also pops up to lend a hand on a few tracks. Together, this group creates an extraordinarily intimate sound to surround Moss’s voice and acoustic fingerpicking, whether it’s the steady thump of the title track, the slow way of “Dance” or the somewhat sinister groove of “Lost.” You could slot Swimming into the so-called Americana genre, but it really rises above that easy categorization.

Aquarium Drunkard :: 2024 Year in Review

Can any year-end list be definitive? With so much music being released every single day—from marquee names to DIY home recorders to all points in between—it’s impossible to truly keep up with it all. But the idea with our lists has never been to say “here’s everything worth paying attention to.” Rather, this is our humble attempt at casting a wide net and reeling in as much of the good shit as possible.

Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard :: August 2024

Freeform transmissions from Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard on dublab. Airing every third Sunday of the month, RFAD on dublab features the pairing of Tyler Wilcox’s Doom and Gloom from the Tomb and Chad DePasquale’s New Happy Gathering. This month kicks off with Wilcox’s mix of sunset laments and armchair boogies, followed by DePasquale’s selection of city pop, MPB, and jazz-funk. Sunday, 4-6pm PT.