(From left) BJ Kocen, Steve Bassett and Justin Laughter will debut their album, “The Feal,” during a release party on Sept. 1 at Révéler. For more information, visit revelerexperiences.com. (Photo by Joey Wharton)
The Feal’s self-titled album is as sturdy and comfortable as a well-worn pair of boots, its theme reflected as much in the scuffs as the polish. The experience-burnished songs come from a decade of collaboration between singer-songwriter and gallery owner BJ Kocen and longtime Richmond music icon Steve Bassett.
While both are seasoned performers, Kocen notes that Bassett — co-writer of the official state song, “Sweet Virginia Breeze,” and a charismatic singer on more than 100 commercials — is far more semifamous. “The first day Steve and I got together, I was intimidated by his reputation and catalog,” Kocen says. “I suggested we write a song composed of limericks.” It was the humorous start to a working relationship that resulted in 2018’s “The Pond” and, many years later, its follow-up.
“I have a little production spot in a trailer out in the woods where we can make music,” Bassett says. “Through the years, our motto has been to write whatever we wanted to write, with no constraints. Sometimes it would be my idea, sometimes his, and we would chase them lyrically.”
The songs have an adult perspective far removed from the youthful themes of heartbreak, righteous anger and reckless love. The opener, “Bad Choices,” embraces the value of growing from past mistakes. “Be Kind to Your Soul” follows with a concise statement of the album’s theme. The record’s upbeat, human-scale content is a gentle riposte to the cliche that suffering is the crucible of serious art.
“I think both of us lean toward optimism, just in the way we live. I’m sure that comes across in our songs,” Bassett says. “The goal of an entertainer is to try to create something that people can enjoy, or at least something that takes their mind off things long enough to enjoy it.”
Kocen adds, “We accomplished what we wanted: stripping the songs down to their essence. There aren’t wide swings in genre. It has a solid, singular sound. I’ve made records before where one song might go rock, reggae or country, and I love records like that, too. But I had never really made one that had this kind of unified sound.”
Bassett, Kocen and Justin Laughter of local band Flashlight Tag trade off lead vocals. “Justin was opening for us at a gig,” Kocen says. “We invited him to sing with us. When he got up, the crowd got quiet. It felt like the missing link. We took note of that.”
There were three different backing bands in various sessions. Bassett enlisted four members of his Richmond-based The Potluck music collective: Daniel Clarke, Stewart Myers, Dusty Ray Simmons and Willie Williams (who also overdubbed guitar leads for other sessions). Another recording block featured Tyler Williams of The Head and the Heart, and Spacebomb Studio house band member Pinson Chanselle on drums and audio engineer Curtis Fye on bass, along with Parliament-Funkadelic’s Jeff Bunn, also on bass. Charles Arthur played piano on a few tracks.
“Even with three different rhythm lineups, I think the album has a strong through line,” Kocen says. “It’s an all-star affair, but it still feels connected.”
The album unfolds song by song, mostly with the unhurried assurance of artists who know exactly where they are going and are not worried about getting there.
“We had a ball recording them,” Bassett says. “We have different ideas, pick the little pearls out and keep the ones we like.” They share a rich musical vocabulary, a touch of gospel here, a little reggae there. There are regrets, but the sharp edges are softened by time into something universal and radically normal.
