Pokey LaFarge Lets "Rent Money" Swing Against The Pressure
Written By: Big C
Pokey LaFarge knows how to make serious pressure move with a little swing. Rent Money brings blues, early rock ’n’ roll, jazz, ragtime, reggae, gospel, and electric country funk into one record. Producer Elliot Bergman gives the live instrumentation enough space to stay loose without making the music feel overcrowded. My Baby Loves Me carries the warmth of family and devotion, while the title track looks directly at everyday financial pressure. Pokey LaFarge delivers both sides with confidence, allowing the songwriting to keep every style connected. That balance is where the album finds its personality. The rhythms can feel joyful even when the subject is not. Instead of copying an older era, LaFarge uses those influences to tell a story which belongs to his life right now. Pokey had this to say:
No matter what the world does to me. No matter what the world says about me. No matter who may come and go in and outta my life. I remember, my baby, that is my wife, Addie, and now my little baby girl, Nina Ruth — they love me. And all that other mess don’t matter.
Released independently through Boxer Boy Records, "Rent Money" arrived digitally on September 11, with CD and vinyl editions following October 3 through ONErpm and Diggers Factory. Director Jacob Butler brings "My Baby Loves Me" to the screen with a video that keeps the song’s affection at the center. The album also moves into a North American tour, giving the new material room to grow in front of an audience. LaFarge has always worked across several American styles, but "Rent Money" shows that pressure can be part of the story without controlling the entire mood. Connect with Pokey LaFarge on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and YOUTUBE.
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