‘Purple Woman’ the third from veteran singer-songwriter
Knoxville singer-songwriter Pat Beasley is the leader of an emerging namesake psychedelic blues/rock group that released its third album, “Purple Woman,” on Jan. 31, but he doesn’t fit the bill of a traditional frontman.
For one, he comes off as exceedingly laid-back and humble.
The husband, father and operator of a family business specializing in architectural landscaping says he tries to “squeeze music in here and there” when he can – understated words for a man who spent 12 years as a sideman in Texas Tony and the Tornado Ramblers and a year on bass with Shimmy and the Burns.
“The whole local music scene is something [in which] I still feel like I am trying to carve my spot out,” Beasley says. “I still don’t feel like I am a part of the scene in that I don’t know anybody, but … I’ll slowly integrate myself into [it].”
This is another massive understatement, as Beasley has successfully booked his group at some of the city’s top music venues like Preservation Pub and Open Chord and has started his own singer-songwriter showcase, which debuts at Corner Lounge on Feb. 29 and features local heavyweights like Josh Smith, Brian Paddock and Eli Fox.
“Purple Woman” is a mature, relaxed collection of reflective tunes and jammy rockers that deftly runs the gamut from alt-country to blues to folk to country. Beasley sings in a quirky, loose-tongued style that occasionally evokes jam singers like Les Claypool and Keller Williams and sometimes is reminiscent of Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock.
“I have never really seen myself as a singer,” Beasley says, offering more humility. “I’m a songwriter at heart, but I love just guitar playing and jam bands. I grew up on Panic and stuff [like that].”
Due to what its leader terms “cross-pollination,” The Pat Beasley Band is a bit of an all-star squad, having drawn its players from some of the more high-flying local bands. Bass wizard Stirling Walsh (Electric Darling, Colonel Williams House Band and Tractorhead, to name a few) and drummer Chris Bratta (Tim Lee 3, Handsome and the Humbles) are regular fixtures, while Daniel Monro of the Burnin’ Hermans and Drew Fisher of The Knox County Jug Stompers sit in on some of the songs, both live and in the studio, on guitar and harmonica, respectively. Evan Stone added piano work in the studio as well.
“This record for me, some of these songs I’ve had a while, and sometimes as a singer-songwriter you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I can share this.’” Beasley says. “But I finally got to a point where I was [OK with it].” He describes the material as “lyrically deep, intense” and says he tackles more personal topics in it than he has in the past.
Beasley also says that he would like to tour regionally at some point, but for now it’s about building momentum behind the release locally. “I am interested in [touring] but have never really been able to figure it out with the scheduling,” he says. “[But] if you try to work your gigs around every single thing, you’ll never play.”
Following the showcase at Corner Lounge, the next scheduled appearances by The Pat Beasley Band will be on March 7 at Preservation Pub and May 7 at Barley’s on WDVX’s “Six O’Clock Swerve” hosted by Wayne Bledsoe.
