You could say Yukon native JD Graham has taken the long way on his trip through life and music. Addicted pills and bad decisions as a teenager, Graham has spent the first 30 years of life losing to his demons. A decade ago, he even shared stages with folks you know by first name - Reckless, Ragweed, Turnpike, Boland, Stoney, and Shooter, yet during that time Graham couldn't wrangle it all to make a name for himself. It took a five-year stint in prison to rearrange his life. While locked up he found Jesus, got sober, and dedicated himself to the pen. That transformation also included putting out a record, "Razor Wire Sunrise," while incarcerated and starting a music ministry for his fellow inmates, with hopes of using the power of song to help them wrangle their own demons. In 2022 JD Graham exited the penitentiary with 160 songs in hand and a new lease on life.
His new record "A Pound Of Rust" debuts on June 23rd and features a dozen of those songs that he wrote while getting his life back on track. Today's premiere is the title track and is essentially an executive summary of Graham's journey to date, with the rest of the record seemingly filling in the details. Graham poetically delivers his tale matter-of-factly, but with unfettered vulnerability. The dirty laundry of his past aired out for everyone to see, juxtaposed with the hope and optimism flowing from his fingered guitar.
While he's not new to music, he's new to us, and after listening to his new record "A Pound of Rust," we think you need to get to know JD Graham.
If this one hits you in the feels, you can get more over at JD Graham (thejdgraham.com)