A Crawfordsville singer-songwriter is finding a new audience across the pond.
United Kingdom-based independent label Aldora Britain Records has released a collection of songs from Joel Weir, who has built a local and regional following for his music highlighting social justice issues and Midwestern life. Weir plans to release a new album on the label next year.
The anthology, “American Streets,” features listener favorites including 2005’s hometown tribute “Worktown,” which Weir released while working as a rural mail carrier, and 2016’s coming-of-age story “I Am a Boy.”
“I picked the songs that seemed to matter, that seemed to bring a little life, that hopefully helped in some way,” Weir wrote last week in an email to supporters.
Aldora first noticed Weir after the release of his band’s latest album “My Quarantina” in September. The album was produced after the pandemic forced Weir to cancel a pastoral sabbatical in Europe
The label put one of the album’s songs “Guns and Religion” on a weekly compilation of music by underground and international artists from around the world.
Weir was concerned about how the song’s message would resonate in England.
“People might call these political … but I try to not think of them that way,” Weir said.
“I try to think of them as, you know, looking into a story of someone or someones who need advocated for, need a voice. He said, ‘No, I like that.’ He’s like, ‘That works over here.’”
Weir didn’t have new material for an album but offered to do a compilation of his other music. The anthology is dedicated to his mother Connie, who “made sure my life was filled with all kinds of music from day one,” he said.
“I wanted to give a … picture of, you know, life here,” Weir added. “I figure for a U.K. audience it might be good for them to hear those stories and, kind of, get a taste of … who we are here and the kind of things we think about … our struggles, our hopes, all those kind of things.”
The album can be purchased by going to www.thealdorabritainrecords.com.bandcamp.com and clicking on “American Streets: Anthology 2005-2019.”
