HOW TO GO
Who: Starving in the Belly of the Whale, with The Repeating Arms, The New Old-Fashioned, Jeremy Rosen, Brett Hill, and Denny Cottle
Where: Blind Bob's, 430 E. Fifth St., Dayton
When: 9 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $5
More info: (937) 938-6405 or www.blindbobs.com
Artist info: www.starvinginthebellyofthewhale.com
Local musician Ricky Terrell has been promoting Starving in the Belly of the Whale as a viable band since he began using the name in 2009. He did have a steady lineup for several years, but in reality the songwriter has worked primarily with a revolving cast of musicians.
With his latest collection of fragile folk-pop songs, “The Foolish Fellow,” Terrell has finally come to terms with being a solo performer.
“This album was recorded with me as the only member of Starving in the Belly of the Whale,” said Terrell, who performs at Blind Bob’s in Dayton on Saturday. “It’s the first one I recorded with the plans of promoting me as a solo artist. I used minimal additional musicians on this record because I wanted these songs to transfer easily from the record to the live show.”
The basic tracks for “The Foolish Fellow,” Starving in the Belly of the Whale’s fourth full-length album, were recorded in Dayton by Patrick Himes. The vocals were recorded at Himes’ Nashville studio, where he also mixed and mastered the songs.
“I played, guitar, bass, percussion, piano, Wurlitzer, organ, ukulele and vocals on this album,” Terrell said. “This is the first full length to include Patrick Himes (vocals, harmonium), Scott Loy (cello, whistles), Crystal Leisure (vocals) and Caleb Peyton (bass). It’s also the first one to feature another guitar player besides me, my longtime friend Bradley Bowling.”
The album title is taken from J.M. Barrie’s classic novel “Peter Pan.” For Terrell, it was a fitting sentiment since many of the songs chronicle the aftermath of a busted romance.
“At the end of the story, after Wendy has grown up, Peter Pan returns to England to take her back to Neverland,” Terrell said. “But Wendy begins to explain to Peter that she has grown up, why she can’t go back, and refers to him as ‘the foolish fellow.’ I feel like that’s great symbolism of how many relationships end, with one person not understanding why. Endings are the main theme of this album.”
Saturday’s bill features performances from The Repeating Arms, The New Old-Fashioned, Jeremy Rosen, Brett Hill and Denny Cottle. Admission is $5 at the door.
“Every admission gets a free copy of the new album,” Terrell said. “It will also be available for free download like all my releases. Donations are accepted on my website and at shows. All Starving in the Belly of the Whale music, media and promotions are supported 100 percent by fans and friends.”
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