Jesse Daniel Edwards' releases Self-Titled, solo piano album

Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter Jesse Daniel Edwards returns with a deeply personal and stripped-back album, Jesse Daniel Edwards, out February 21, 2025, via Cavity Search Records. Recorded live on 2-track tape by Scott McEwen at Memphis Magnetic Recording Co. in April 2024 on a Chickering Grand Piano, this self-titled release marks a new chapter in Edwards' evolving artistic journey, offering an intimate, raw portrayal of his musical and emotional world. Performed, recorded, and manufactured in Memphis, the album features just Edwards and his piano, a pared-down approach that contrasts with the more elaborate, rock-driven sounds of his previous works. It’s a work of reflection, honesty, and vulnerability, captured with a simplicity that speaks volumes.

The album’s first single, “I’m So Happy (I Think I Might Cry),” drops on January 24, 2025, offering a glimpse into the profound emotions and tender introspection that shape the record. Edwards describes the album as a "reflective revue," one that revisits moments from the past with both nostalgia and clarity. "What if time is the canvas, and our lives the brush?" he muses, hinting at the deeper philosophical undercurrent running through the album. "There was enough in the cellar to dig out and reflect. Potatoes, tomatoes..."

The tracks on Jesse Daniel Edwards are a collection of moments and memories that Edwards revisited, carefully selecting those that felt particularly meaningful in the context of this new phase of his life. "Life itself is a process of overwriting information," he explains, "a moment can feel like forever, and yet a life so short." This idea of memory and time as fluid, ever-changing elements is central to the album’s themes.

The decision to record in Memphis—a city known for its rich musical history—was driven by a love for the space itself. Edwards refers to Memphis Magnetic Recording Co as his "favorite tech lab in the galaxy," a "butterfly-net-shaped" place designed to "catch dreams." The result is an album that feels both timeless and deeply connected to the present, a combination of raw emotion and meticulous craftsmanship.

In many ways, this album represents an ongoing dialogue between past and present. Edwards reflects on the unique nature of each album he creates: "Every one is different, simply because they occur at different junctures in your life." In that sense, Jesse Daniel Edwards feels like both a culmination and a new beginning, a way of examining and re-examining the journey he's been on. "I was born in a lighthouse, and that—God willing—is where I shall die," he says, reflecting on the deeper, almost mystical connection he has to his music.

Lyrically, the album is marked by a raw honesty, one that reflects the ups and downs Edwards has faced over the past decade. The songs are built on the framework of vulnerability and introspection, delivering a message of "honesty - raw and simple." Edwards muses, "The present is you, and me, together. How else do we keep track of time passing I ask you, mmm, how?" This candidness, paired with his soulful, expressive piano work, creates an intimate atmosphere throughout the record, inviting listeners to join him in his emotional journey.

Despite the simplicity of the arrangement—just piano and voice—the album never feels sparse or lacking. Each song is a delicate balance of quiet reflection and emotional depth, capturing the full spectrum of human experience, from heartbreak to joy, from loneliness to connection. "It got so emotionally intense—was Denny ready for it, was I?!" Edwards recalls, referring to Denny Swofford of Cavity Search Records, who produced the album, having worked on solo, one-instrument records by Elliott Smith (Roman Candle) and Pete Krebs (Brigadier) previously. "It’s taken the past decade to train and prepare for race day. But that’s Memphis for you."

While the album’s sound may be simpler, it is no less complex in its emotional scope. “I remember being honest, I remember trying, but not too hard,” Edwards reflects. “I remember the imperative of the moment, and the moment passing.” These words capture the essence of Jesse Daniel Edwards: an album built on the fleeting nature of time, and the deep emotional connections we create along the way.

With songs like “This House Comes With a Ghost,” “Wrong About God,” and “Left Your Coat Behind,” the record explores themes of memory, loss, and the quiet yet profound moments that shape our lives. The album is a love letter to the past and an acknowledgment of its complexities, while also embracing the rawness of the present moment. "The theme is the past 12 years running, still running," Edwards explains. "There is no future, the past itself is a dream...the present is you, and me, together."

Fans of Edwards’ previous work may recognize the dreamer at the heart of this record, but Jesse Daniel Edwards is a stark departure from anything he's done before. It’s an album that speaks to the heart, not the head—a meditation on life’s most fundamental truths, delivered with simplicity and grace. As Edwards puts it, "The goal WAS the record."

In the end, Jesse Daniel Edwards is about capturing a moment—an emotional snapshot in time—and allowing listeners to experience it as if it were their own. With its raw honesty and timeless sound, it’s an album that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the passing of time, the weight of memory, and the beauty of fleeting moments.