According to Wikipedia, Steve Poltz (me) is "a Canadian-American singer-songwriter andguitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band the Rugburns and collaborated onseveral songs with singer Jewel, including the 1996 single "You Were Meant for Me", whichreached number two in the US".JoyRide is my 14th solo album. I tour nonstop, so I usually have to be tricked into a studiounder the guise of "just one song." Capturing me on tape is like convincing a whirling dervishto stop spinning long enough to sign a bill into law. It's chaos, caffeine, and accidental poetry- art colliding with microphones and commerce in a glorious mess. That's how JoyRidehappened. No seatbelts, no helmets. Just unsaturated, unadulterated art. Real humansmaking real noise in real time.The record opens with "If It Bleeds It Leads" - my kinda classic mischief. Then comes"Petrichor," inspired by the beautiful smell after it rains. (I later discovered Phish has onetoo, but mine's the barefoot cousin at brunch.) "At It Again" follows, a cosmic co-writewith my brother-from-another-meerkat Jim Lauderdale, featuring Bryan Owings and ChrisDonohue (Emmylou Harris's rhythm section). The title track "JoyRide" feels like a warm hugafter a long road trip: "Free hugs, no shrugs, wrong drugs, bedbugs. Smiles, laughter, forhere ever after." Side one ends with "The Son Of God." I will probably get crucified for thissong, but hopefully it will be an AI video made by an angry man living in his mom's basement.Side two kicks off with "Love a Little Bigger," a rowdy co-write with Vince Herman of LeftoverSalmon. "Fixin' Up" (track seven) is my secret favorite - like a quarter from the Tooth Fairyyou gotta dig around for. "New Tattoo" follows about a dude who got his lover's face inkedon his own face. (Bad plan, good song.) "Brand New Liver" imagines swapping out your oldone like a water pump instead of quitting drinking. And then comes the closer "Hairlift." Thatone has my favorite line I've ever written: "I used to play ping pong with my old friend MaoZedong. I thought he told me I was well hung, but he was speaking in the mother tongue."That's JoyRide. Ten songs, no filter, no seatbelt, no map. Big thanks to Dex Green for beingthe musical trickster who lured me into the studio. Party on, weirdos.-Steve Poltz, Nashville