Darrel William Herbert – Photo courtesy of Darrel William Herbert
After building a career playing guitar for platinum-selling act the Toadies and the Geffen-signed Tomorrowpeople, Darrel William Herbert is taking a back-to-basics, DIY approach for his upcoming solo debut, An Unwelcome Moment of Clarity.
“The punk DIY aesthetic is something that I internalized from a young age,” says Hebert. “No one is going to do anything for you; if you want to make something, you have to do it yourself. On this record, I wrote, recorded, performed, mixed, mastered, made the videos, and shot the promo photos [largely by] myself.”
The result is a bold opening statement for Herbert that combines traces of his Texas upbringing in the ‘Willie-and-Waylon- era of country music with the backing of a storied career within alternative rock. The LP features contributor friends like keyboardist Rich Hilton (Chic), guitarist Paul Williams (Tablet), and drummer Mitch Marine (Dwight Yoakam), but contains Herbert’s most personal and heartfelt songwriting yet.
Big Takeover is pleased to host the premiere of “If You Still Believe,” a prime cut from An Unwelcome Moment of Clarity.
An Unwelcome Moment of Clarity arrives October 9th on all digital platforms. It streams along with quickly picked, brightly ripe guitar notes, the hazy hum of harmonica-like sonics, rhythmic percussion, and a fleet drum beat.
Herbert’s yearning vocals stretch over the production, weathered with experience, as he ruminates about his path in life and in a relationship. He takes in the view while lost in dreamland, conjuring up a significant other who guides him with the encouraging words, “If you still believe / All you have to do is try / Hit your marks and say your lines / and everything will end up fine.”
