25 Years Since the Refreshments

Hi, all.

I just wanted to pass along some thoughts on this date, 25 years since the Refreshments’ last gig.

I’ve always felt great about what the Refreshments did as a band. It’s the one genuinely magical artistic experience of my life, and I know I was lucky to have been a part of it.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t harbored ill feelings about the band, and they lingered for a long time.

More recently, I’ve come to feel quite a bit less frustrated with the band and my relationships with the band members. It took some work—and about 25 years of writing therapy—but much of the confusion associated with my band feels like a thing of the past. I now maintain something like healthy friendships with all of the former members, and that makes me really happy. If you’ve suffered such longterm frustrations with folks in your life, never doubt it can change for you, too.

So, here’s to the Refreshments. If you’re curious, take a listen to the podcast that kickstarted this positive change in me.

What else is going on? This summer, I’m finishing a memoir—not a Refreshments memoir, but it deals with some Refreshments stuff—about my life as a fiction writer. I don’t want to say too much too soon, but know that I’ll be spending the rest of 2023 finishing it and submitting it for publication.

I don’t anticipate self-publishing this memoir. With a job and life outside of my writing, I don’t expect to have the time to self-publish anymore. Never say never, but that’s where I’m at right now. I’ll keep you posted as I have updates.

The thing that’s happening for sure is the creation of my fourth solo album.

I’ve been working diligently with my Atlanta buddies Bret Hartley and Kevin Leahy on a followup to Branches Breaking from the Weight. We’ve got ten songs in the can already, and the plan is to write together through the summer. I can easily imagine the new album coming out in 2024. If you’d like to support the effort, the purchase of Branches Breaking from the Weight goes a long way to helping us pay for the things we have to pay for, and I bet you’ll like listening to it too. Hey’s it’s Bandcamp Friday! Celebrate!

Finally, I’ve got the Art Edwards Appears Large Podcast up and running again. My latest guest was Aug Stone, whose rock novel The Ballad of Buttery Cake Ass is something you should be reading right now. I’ve had a discussion or two with other potential podcast interviewees. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see one or two more podcasts pop up this summer. I’ll keep you posted.

I think that’s it. Have a great spring, everyone. We’ve got a good one coming.