Chuck Ragan And the Camaraderie – München, Theaterfabrik

Chuck Ragan has not only gathered an army of fantastic musicians for the recordings of his new record, a few of them also accompany him as his band 'The Camaraderie' on European tour. On 11.12.23 the American songwriter and singer of Hot Water Music comes to the Theaterfabrik in Munich.

Chuck Ragan's stirring new release Till Midnight once again confirms what fans of the iconoclastic singer-songwriter have always known: that he is a deeply compelling songwriter and an unflinchingly charismatic performer. Till Midnight's ten typically passionate compositions embody the artist's signature blend of eloquent lyrical insight and catchy, powerful songcraft. The impressive blend of head and heart is reflected in new tracks such as Something May Catch Fire, Vagabond, Non Typical, Bedroll Lullaby and Wake With You, where Ragan brings his distinctively raspy voice to bear. Also unique is his astute grasp of lively melodies that reflect both his roots in traditional American music and his deep affinity for rock and roll.

"This record is full of love songs," notes Ragan, whose work always addresses not only individual but also social concerns. "I love writing love songs because it's the strongest emotion. It's what connects us to this earth and makes us fight to make the world a better place." "I always try to write from the heart and make the music as authentic as possible," he continues. "That's the way I usually write about everything that's going on in my life. And when you live your life wearing your heart on your sleeve, there's not much to hide. "In his musical oeuvre, which spans nearly three decades, Chuck Ragan always wears his heart on his sleeve, creating his own musical niche. First with post-hardcore pioneers Hot Water Music and later on his own, he has created an extensive and uniquely powerful body of work whose honesty, immediacy and warmth have won the loyalty of a passionate international fan base that has supported him through his various musical incarnations.

Till Midnight benefits from the sensitive production of multi-instrumentalist and Blind Melon/AWOL Nation member Christopher Thorn and the support of Ragan's longtime combo The Camaraderie - guitarist/pedal steel player Todd Beene, violinist Jon Gaunt and bassist Joe Ginsberg, and new drummer David Hidalgo Jr, of Social Distortion and formerly of Suicidal Tendencies, son of David Hidalgo of Los Lobos - along with Rami Jaffee of Wallflowers/Foo Fighters, Ben Nichols of Lucero, Dave Hause, Jenny O., Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass of Drag The River. To give Till Midnight an organic, live feel, Ragan gathered the musicians at his home in Northern California for a week of rehearsal, fishing and pre-production before road-testing the new material in Europe. "It was really the first time we all learned and rehearsed the songs as a group and laid it all out together," Ragan explains. "It made a big difference for everyone to have time to sit and breathe on these songs and let it all develop naturally. There was a feeling that I wanted to capture, and the guys were able to help us capture it. "Though the creation cycle of Till Midnight has been somewhat different, the honesty and urgency that characterize Till Midnight have been constants throughout Ragan's musical career.