STRAND OF OAKS

For just a moment, Strand of Oaks’ Timothy Showalter got what he wanted.

After years as one of music’s “best kept secrets,” Showalter says he was ready for something bigger. Real money was needed to pay real bills. More than anything, he was ready to craft music for the masses, an artist weary of working so hard only to have a cultural subset listen to each album. Then came 2014’s HEAL.

Years after Showalter’s breakthrough, the Indiana-born/Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter/guitarist says he hit another wall. “I don’t feel it anymore,” he sings as he opens his latest album, Eraserland, a serious sentiment of an artist ready to walk away from it all—including the very platform he sought for so long.

If left to his own devices, Showalter wouldn’t even be here. The creative community around him, led by My Morning Jacket members Carl Broemel, Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan, Bo Koster, and producer Kevin Ratterman, did the heavy lifting on the new recording, giving Showalter a purpose when he was at his lowest point.

We sat down with Showalter to discuss the journey between the breakthrough and the near break-up and what he’s learned about his craft in response.

Matt Conner (Under the Radar