wide open road

The van Gogh Brothers will be going on sabbatical until sometime in 2026 after our May 10th show at Vincent’s, Worcester. Don’t miss us at the Burren, Somerville, on Friday, April 4th, or at Vincent’s on April 12 & May 10th. That will be a wrap! Paul and I have kept the band going for 30 years through 17 albums, multiple line-ups, bi-coastal living, and thick and thin. We’ve decided to press pause and re-set, re-think, and re-group. I will be doing some solo shows and experimental recording— getting back to center— and to the songs, which is where the music lives for me. Life is short, and I want to make myself available for new creative input while I’m still inspired and healthy enough to work.

Our new album, aptly titled, “The van Gogh Brothers,” is now live on all the major music services and on CD. We will offer it on vinyl— for the first time— on my 70th birthday, April 11th.

Change is the only constant in life, and while I like to think I have embraced change, I’ve realized recently that I have worked with Paul for 30 non-stop years to hone the sound of the van Gogh Brothers, adding Clayton and Andy to the mix almost 25 years ago, constantly evolving the focus, stripping back the ensemble and arrangements, and creating a machine that can enter a recording studio and crank out basic tracks to one or two songs in less time than it takes most artists to set up and get sounds. Our creative process, with producer David Minehan, is an absolute wonder, and our latest album feels like the pinnacle of our work as a band. Both Paul and I felt like it was time to take a breath after we finished this record, and this sabbatical came as a result of that sentiment.

The van Gogh Brothers have been a constant in my life. Behind the band, there is an individual who experiences and writes about his life, books the shows, travels to promote the use of our music, pays the bills, and organizes rehearsals and recording sessions. That individual is me, and I need to strip myself back to my bare bones to remember— and reinvent— who I am. I love my Brothers and all of you, who have supported me and us as we’ve grown alongside you. I expect we’ll return with a renewed sense of power and purpose.

Don’t miss us at one of our final 2025 shows in the coming weeks, and happy spring to all!

Love,

JC