Help Julian Brolaski Release Their First Album

My name is Julian Talamantez Brolaski, and I’m a queer and trans poet and country western / Americana musician. I’ve been playing music since I was four years old, and writing poems as long as I can remember. This is my first full-length album of original songs! You can read more about me and link to my poems and music at my website.

I really believe in this album, the songs on it, and the musicians who played on it, and I want to put it out in the world in a good way. I'm overwhelmed and humbled by the talent of my collaborators. My goal is for these songs to give other people joy and pleasure. From what I’m learning about the music business, this means paying for a PR campaign. I’ll also want to make CDs, press vinyl, and tour the album on the east and west coasts.

The album is called It’s Okay Honey. I recorded it in the spring of 2022 with an incredible group of musicians in Philadelphia. The theme of the album is solace, and finding joy even in hard times. The first single "No More Lonesome Heartache" came out in March:

Many of the songs were written while I was healing from an accident that left me unable to walk for two years. The title track, “It’s Okay Honey” came out of this experience:

These singles also had premieres at Americana Highways and Wide Open Country, where you can read interviews with me discussing the songs in depth.

The third single, “Covid-19 Blues” premiered May 31st on Rainbow Rodeo (an amazing website, zine, podcast, and community hub dedicated to queer country) and came out on Spotify and everywhere else on June 2nd.

And a music video for "No More Lonesome Heartache" is coming out in July! Here's a still from the video, which features two-stepping on the beach in Goleta:

Wave Books, who published my book Of Mongrelitude, is also putting out a Songbook, with the lyrics and chord sheets for both It’s Okay Honey and my previous EP, Glittering Forest, which I released as Juan & the Pines.

The album itself is slated to come out August 4th.

I was shocked to learn how much it costs to release an album independently! I’ve already paid over $8,000 out of pocket. That included fees for the musicians, studio time, mixing, and mastering, as well as publicity for the first three singles. But now I need to raise some funds to put out the album itself and to support it on tour. Some of these costs include paying a PR person to help promote the album, pressing CDs and vinyl, shipping, and touring expenses. Anything beyond my basic goals would pay for the costs of advertising, more touring, and a second music video.

Thanks for reading, friends.

Love,

Julian

Album Credits

The album was recorded at Gradwell House in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, and in Philadelphia PA, with an amazing group of collaborators:

-Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner: lap steel, pedal steel; co-producer

-Michael Frank: electric bass

-Boaz Kim: harmonica, bass harmonica, harmony vocals

-David Laganella: electric guitar

-Mark Schreiber: drums

-“Handy” Andy Waegel: banjo, pedal steel, harmony vocals

-John Anthony: recording engineer, mixing

My friend Owen Duncan has also generously donated his time to directing, filming, and editing the music video for “No More Lonesome Heartache.” And my friends Jen Gherardi, Shaka Clark, and my uncle Pete de Alba donated their time as the skeleton film crew.