With a new album, “Central Bridge,” dropping this week, Darren Jessee joined Aaron this week on Live & Local.

Darren Jessee has been a mainstay of the local music scene for three decades. He got his start in 1993 as the co-founder and drummer of Ben Folds Five; later he founded the band Hotel Lights and played with numerous other bands and artists including Hiss Golden Messenger. (Among many other key contributions, he wrote the chorus to the Ben Folds Five hit “Brick.”)

Visit Darren Jessee’s website, DarrenJessee.com.

Jessee released his first solo album in 2018; “Central Bridge” is his third, with nine songs written and recorded at the height of the pandemic. If there’s a prevailing theme, he says, it’s about connectivity, not just with other people but also with nature and your immediate surroundings.

“Central Bridge” is available now, and Jessee will celebrate the album’s release next month, with a show at the Pinhook in Durham. The April 27 show will also feature Natalie Jane Hill.

Darren Jessee stopped by Live & Local to discuss the album, the title, the cover art, the challenges of releasing new music, and more. He also played three tracks: “Mirage,” “Sunbeam,” and “I Live In Your Old Hometown.” Listen:

 


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