Chicago’s Judson Claiborne has shared a new single, “The Trimmergrant”. Following on the heels of “Conditionals”, this is the latest track to be lifted from the forthcoming EP, When a Man Loves an Omen set for release on November 13, 2020, via indie label La Société Expéditionnaire (Strand of Oaks, Lewis & Clarke, Daniel Knox). The new body of work marks former Low Skies frontman Christopher Salveter’s fourth release under his Judson Claiborne moniker, a return trip both sonically and personally. Over the course of five songs, he distils his sound to its finest moment and evokes the stripped-down atmosphere of his 2008 debut, Before Midnight Scholar.
“The Trimmergrant” is the gorgeous new single telling of the tragic disappearance of marijuana trimmers in the mountains of Humboldt County, CA. Salveter both laments and critiques the bizarre lawlessness that takes place behind the Redwood Curtain which often results in missing “trimmergrants”. The accompanying visual was created by Salveter, and emphasizes this sentiment further. It begins with an excerpt from ‘The Narcotic Educational Foundation of America’ and combines surveillance footage with motifs that highlight perils of the trade, along with subsequent fear and paranoia where “no marijuana grows unprotected”.
“Humboldt County has for a long time been known for its vast and clandestine terrain and perfect environment for growing marijuana crops,” explains Salveter. “It’s also been known as one of the last vestiges of the wild west, a place with very little law enforcement. Trimmergrants regularly go missing in the mountains, which brings the loved ones of the disappeared to try and find them.”
When we were first sent this single, the subject seemed to be something that rests more with that of a photographic documentarian than a singer but Judson Claireborne’s storytelling treatment is both profound and revealing of a rapidly changing world that’s often hidden from view.
The creation of When A Man Loves an Omen took place in Eastern Pennsylvania, where Lou Rogai invited Judson to track at Veriditas Recordings. Fresh off their East Coast tour, the group was bound to the studio due to a three-day ice-storm. The songs came to life with Salveter joined by longtime collaborator/bandmate Jamie Topper (percussion, vocals) and bandmate Josh Lantzy (multi-instrumentalist). They quickly got to work in an atmosphere creatively charged by the momentum and camaraderie of their recent run, along with the heat and hiss from the stone fireplace. The spirit was captured on tape as Patrick McGee helmed the desk and guest artists Julian Rogai and Alex Luquet lent their double bass skills, pizzicato and arco, respectively.
‘The Trimmergrant’ Personnel:
Christopher Salveter: Vocals
Jamie Topper: Percussion, Vocals
Josh Lantzy: Guitar, Vocals
Julian Rogai: Double Bass (Pizzicato)
Alex Luquet: Double Bass (Arco)
Patrick McGee: Synth
Nick Broste: Synth
https://judsonclaiborne.com/music
Photo Credit: Alyce Henson