(Dustin Kensrue Official Website) -- Known and respected by many as the focal point for
Orange County's critically acclaimed band Thrice,
Dustin Kensrue's perceptive songwriting and dynamic vocal styling are displayed through his debut solo release Please Come Home on Equal Vision Records (January 23rd, 2007). Combining classic folk with earthy blues, melodic country and deep soul, Kensrue creates a unique aural landscape complementing his musical versatility.
Please Come Home takes listeners on a reflective journey of wisdom and hope that dates back to a far gone era. "With only eight songs, it's a bit of an old-school record," says Kensrue. "But it's similar to the old LPs I love—a lot of them only had eight, maybe nine songs. I feel you really get a sense of the whole sentiment of the record, and you can grasp it all in one gulp. It feels very complete to me."
In a sense, the songs filling Please Come Home took root when Kensrue, before his days in Thrice, busked on streets corners in Southern California, playing for change, and for the thrill of the interaction with an audience, no matter how small. On Thrice's last U.S. tour, Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi committed to bringing these ideas to life once off the road.
Having done a pair of brief solo acoustic tours in the Northeast and Southwest, including sold-out engagements in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego and Orange County, Dustin has proven that he can convincingly display dual sides of his musical personality. Indeed, with this batch of visceral acoustic songs, which range from the dark, philosophical and introspective to the tender, Kensrue is more likely to snare listeners more in tune with the work of Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello or Ryan Adams.
"As an artist, I always want to be as real and honest as I can be in my songs," says Kensrue. "I feel where powerful songs come from— tapping something that's inside of you, that actually means something to you, and getting that into the song—I think you can hear when a song is not from that place. I try to be an artist who aspires to find hope even in dark places: If I'm down, I don't want to bring people down to that place with me. I'm looking for a way out."
