CheekyChicago

“The more I buy, the more I’m bought; the more I’m bought, the less I cost,” sings precocious singer-songwriter, Joe Pug. Chicago’s up-and-coming premiere folk musician sings these lyrics in the first track of his debut EP, Nation of Heat. Carpenter by day, musician by night, Joe Pug is in the thick of carving his imprint on the Chicago music scene (when he’s not building houses), quickly followed by his inevitable impression on the national arena.

At a mere 23-years-old, Pug’s lyrics convey wisdom well beyond his years, as he fashions lyrics that tug at your heart strings with forceful conviction: “I call today a disaster, she calls it December the 3rd, ” he laments in ”Call It What You Will.” With palpable influences like Bob Dylan and John Prine, Pug’s writing suggests both heartache and elation, nostalgia and prospect. His lyrics speak to the masses, as all good folk music should. Pug’s distinctive voice, poetic lyrics and loyal harmonica create the perfect folk trifecta.

It’s not everyday that you stumble upon a carpenter/folk singer, but Joe Pug proves that he can, in fact, do two things at once. He constructs absolutely beautiful songs and, as far as his houses are concerned, let’s hope he builds them just as sturdy.