In his latest album, Only Human, guitar player, singer, and songwriter Jeff Gandell reappraises what it means to be mortal in an age of too many robots. One day Jeff typed the lyrics to one of his songs into an AI-checker—because who among us can say for certain that they are not bionic? The results were inconclusive. In his attempt to regain touch with his own humanity, Jeff penned eight songs that take it back to the primitive— one acoustic guitar and one voice.
Inspired by songsters like John Prine, Loudon Wainwright III, and Mississippi John Hurt, Jeff’s impressive fingerstyle guitar playing features rollicking rhythms and moving melodies—a push and pull between groovy and delicate. His lyrics demonstrate a similar balance—disarming you with their humour before flooring you with an emotional sucker punch. He sings of problems both timeless and of-the-moment: the contemplative elegance of war, the atmospheric guilt of our future selves, the fleeting wonder of childhood, and the unique incompetence of love.
The album was recorded in three afternoon sessions, live off the floor with no overdubs and no edits. It is a snapshot of an artist and a moment, full of charming imperfections and moments of accidental clarity. Because we are, after all, only human.
Faced with the impending birth of his second child, Jeff has a limited amount of time to fly after his passion and make it as a singer. Will he manage to hatch from the obscurity of open mic nights while tending to the family nest? A mix of true-life tales and witty, sincere folks songs, How Birds Sing is a storytelling concert about the daily struggle to find your voice and not lose yourself.
$15/$12 (+$4 service and taxes)