Joseph Pear is best known for his bass work with the likes of Younghusband, Seamus Fogarty and Meilyr Jones to name a few. He currently plays in The Waeve — Rose Elinor Dougall and Graham Coxon’s collaboration — touring with them extensively throughout the U.K. and Europe. The Granite and Goats EP, however, finds him wearing a very different hat: this is his first effort as a solo artist. Listeners may feel it's long overdue when they hear Pear's wryly humorous yet existential take on such subjects as addiction, depression and childhood trauma, in songs which steal inspiration from a wide range of sources, including but not limited to the rugged landscape of his native Dartmoor. His songwriting, intertwined with snaky, ever-shifting chord changes that resolve in the most surprising ways, is propelled forward by intricate fingerpicked guitar and enveloped by lush strings (arranged by producer James Howard). The overall mood of this EP brings to mind some of the more ambitious country recordings of the 1970’s - think Gene Clark’s ‘No Other’ or Lee Hazelwood’s ‘Cowboy From Sweden’ — though the lyrical content breaks free from these formative influences. Initial live takes were recorded with Toby Burroughs (Pozi), with further production, overdubs and mixing done with Euan Hinshelwood (Cate le Bon, H. Hawkline) at his Vacant TV studio; a follow-up EP is in the works too.