Joe Henry Releases Remastered Edition of "Blood From Stars"

This year, Joe Henry revisits a special trio of albums that represent his coming-of-age as a record maker.

Following the release of the 2024 edition of Civilians, Joe Henry now introduces the second chapter of his reissue trilogy with a remastered version of Blood From Stars. 

Henry's acclaimed 2009 studio album saw him blending the sounds of orchestral blues and jazz with his profound lyrics and captivating vocals.

"I was listening to a lot of country-blues music at the time, and likewise was revisiting the poems of e. e. cummings; and I was fascinated by what I feel connects the two — and I can hear the songs on this particular collection as walking a tightrope between them," Henry explains his creative process and the inspiration for Blood From Stars.

The result is one of his personal favorites amongst his own records.

The reissue edition of Blood From Stars features all original album tracks in newly remastered sound, as well as five rare recordings captured live on-air on KCRW's radio show "Morning Becomes Eclectic," hosted by Jason Bentley in 2009. 

"At a certain period of my working life, Santa Monica radio station KCRW's 'live' performance platform was an integral part of any album's rollout," Henry remarks. "And as such, I can recall being thrilled to push these new songs into the air for the first time, publicly," Henry recounts the importance of the performance on KCRW. "Listening now, I can hear that I was barely keeping a straight face throughout, so delighted was I by the occasion and opportunity."

As of today, the reissue edition of Blood From Stars is available in stores as 180g black double-vinyl in a high-quality gatefold jacket, CD Digipak and for digital download and streaming.

Access Blood From Stars here.

In addition to Blood From Stars, Henry's reissue trilogy also includes his 2007 record Civilians and the 2014 album Invisible Hour. All three reissue-albums will be pressed on 180g double-vinyl for the very first time and additionally be made available as CD Digipak, for streaming and digital download via earMUSIC.

FORMATS:
CD Digipak
Black 2LP Gatefold
Digital Download/Streaming
 
2024 Reissue Trilogy
Civilians — August 23
Blood From Stars — October 18
Invisible Hour — December 6

Joe Henry Presents Reissues Trilogy Of Three Acclaimed Albums

Joe Henry is one of the artists who have shaped the sound of modern American folk and blues music like hardly anyone else. Not only is Henry a GRAMMY Award-winning producer, but also a well-respected and prolific artist in his own right.

In 2024, Joe Henry is set to release three of his most acclaimed studio records for the first time on vinyl via earMUSIC, featuring a special selection of unheard bonus tracks as well as intimate demos and live recordings from his personal archives.

"With this new reissue series, I find there's something unexpectedly compelling to me about revisiting this particular trio of albums as, together, these volumes represent my sort of 'coming-of-age' as a record maker, in that I stopped observing any border between a song's composition and its studio articulation. It all became a single impulse for me...conjured into fruition right there in my basement," Henry reflects on the reissue series.

Civilians, the first of the three, invites the listener on a journey into Henry's poetic lyricism. While writing the album, Henry found himself going back to an old-fashioned approach of songwriting, starting most songs on acoustic guitar and adding significant production only later on during the process. Recorded in Henry's studio in Pasadena, long time collaborators like Loudon Wainwright III, Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, and Van Dyke Parks have influenced the sound of the album alongside Henry.

Pre-order Civilians here.

Blood From Stars, Henry's 2009 record, sees him exploring the realms of orchestral blues and jazz. During the time, Henry was listening to a lot of country-blues and revisiting poems by writers like e.e. cummings — two forms of art that he says strongly influenced the sound of the record. With his evocative lyrics and soulful vocal delivery, Henry crafts a poignant narrative on what he calls one of his personal favorites amongst his own records.

Pre-order Blood From Stars here.

Rounding out the trilogy is Invisible Hour, one of Henry's more recent works. Recorded in 2013, it features several of his closest musical companions, including Lisa Hannigan and best-selling novelist Colum McCann. Henry describes the songs on the album as "songs pertaining in some ways to the subject of marriage — marriage as a verb, not a noun." The album tells a captivating story about resilience and the redemptive power of love.

Pre-order Invisible Hour here.

All three albums will be pressed on 180g double-vinyl and additionally be made available as CD Digipak, for streaming and digital download via earMUSIC, with the official pre-order starting today.