Karcic, Jovan

***When JOVAN KARCIC releases 2015, his third long-player and second for Scioto Records, he’s telling you about who he was, standing on top of the hill. The album began in the same vein as his previous home-recorded calendar-year song & sound diaries, 2010 and 2011. Karcic blends DIY vibes with studio contributions from his friends, family and outsiders. It was a response to where he was standing, what was behind him, and signs of things ahead. “I just had a zero-ending birthday and my Civil War reenactment weighed heavily on my soul.” The theatrical history lesson that left him cold was reunion performances of the mid-90s roots-Americana band, THE HAYNES BOYS, in which he played drums; the occasion was the album’s reissue. The zero-ending birthday… well, pick your decade. The birth of his daughter, a sign of things to come, kept him forward-focused. Karcic composed and recorded in his coffee shop, employing local talents/customers like COUNTERFEIT MADISON, LISA BELLA DONNA (EYE), and the ALWOOD SISTERS to overdub their parts. MARY LATTIMORE was invited to add harp to “Gambler’s Dream,” And if you hear a Prince influence, you’d be correct. Karcic approached BRENT FISCHER, who had worked with the late musician since 1985. Several months later, he received a recorded orchestration for 2015’s final song, “Shadow and Echo.” 2015 is the story of youth climbing up the hill to mid-age and everything that came between. Listen to what Jovan Karcic culled from 12 months of living and reflecting into a time capsule for your turntable.