November 15–21, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 9
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For a grief moment
Brooklyn songwriter releases album about loss
By Rose Adams
Brooklyn Paper
He’s unpacking his emotional
baggage.
A Brooklyn Heights
singer-songwriter will launch
a jaunty, upbeat folk album
about death and despair with
a concert at Freddy’s Bar on
Nov. 21. The tunes on “Griefcase,”
deal with personal loss
and political turmoil, but their
cheery melodies make them
less painful to perform, said
the artist.
“For what it’s talking about
and what it’s dealing with,
it doesn’t feel like a down
record,” said David Roche.
“It’s helpful for it to be that
way.”
The pop-infused folk record
grew out of several losses
that Roche and his family suffered
through in 2017, including
the death of his sister, his
mother, his brother-in-law,
and his wife’s best friend.
The personal tragedies
prompted Roche to turn to
music, and he worked with
his wife, Mary Mullally,
and daughter, Oona Roche,
to craft the album.
Mullaly co-wrote one
song, Oona sang another,
and all three family members
contributed to the album’s
opening tune, “Grief,”
whose lyrics contain the album’s
title: “All the baggage
to deal with, the griefcase is
a heavy lift.”
Working with his family is
a familiar endeavor for Roche,
who comes from a musical
background.
“It’s always been in the
family,” Roche said. He sang background
Sad songs say so much: David Roche will release his new folk album, “Griefcase,”
on Nov. 21 at Freddy’s Bar and Backroom.
vocals for his sisters’ famous
folk trio, the Roches, who performed
with Paul Simon and released more
than a dozen albums over their decades
long career.
Roche has released two albums prior
to “Griefcase” — the first in 1985, and
a second in 2008, which also featured
songs written by Mullally.
The songs on “Griefcase” blend
tragedy and heartache with political
commentary, mentioning gun violence,
global warming, and the broken immigration
system.
Roche said that he is not trying to
deliver a policy statement through his
songs — instead, he is reflecting the
polarizing political atmosphere we all
live in.
“It wasn’t really a conscious decision,
but I think people in this country
are experiencing grief in a way that we
haven’t before,” he said.
Despite the serious themes of the
album, collaborating with his family
and with accomplished producers David
Kumin and Stewart Lerman helped to
relieve some of Roche’s suffering.
“Being able to make the record and
work with such high-level people, it
was like a dream,” he said. “I’m just
grateful for the chance to be able to do
it after such a hard time.”
David Roche at Freddy’s Bar and
Backroom 627 Fifth Ave. between
17th and 18th streets in Greenwood
Heights, (718) 768-0131, www.freddysbar.
com. Nov. 21 at 8 pm. Free.
Photo by Derrick Watterson
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