Townes Van Zandt is sort of the ultimate unsung hero. He never had a had a hit single, much less a hit album, never reached any level of impressive popularity, and yet, he’s arguably the greatest folk and country song writer ever. There’s an earnestness in his music that most country music, both new and old, only feigns. Maybe it’s because of his own real and very serious struggles with manic depression, loss of long-term memory, and addiction to heroin and alcohol, which eventually took his life; I don’t know. It seems like he was living in a different world than everyone and perhaps not really aware of that fact, but content in it nonetheless. That somehow translates into his music and songwriting. It often makes the difference between laborious and effortless. He was effortless. He was just a perfect songwriter designed and created to do exactly what he was doing. It’s encouraging that people like this have existed. Despite all of his tragedy he was still doing something really beautiful.

Spotify has much of his discography available for listening, so if you’re unfamiliar with Townes, that’s a great way to get familiar. I started with his album “Flyin’ Shoes” and I never looked back.

Matt Goold is a graphic designer proudly living and working in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area. He likes going camping, watching baseball, and eating ice cream. For more examples of his work go here and here.