My usual approach angles don’t seem to apply here. This is something new. This is Crou.

I think I’m going to script a conversation, à la NPR. Bear with me. Here goes:

What is Crou, other than the first four letters of your last name?

Well, it’s the letters printed on the slip for a reserved library book on the pickup shelves: CROU. It’s a pet name my wife sometimes uses. And, it’s something I want be a placeholder for a side project that isn’t fully defined.

How do you pronounce it?

I say “creow”. Like meow. You can saw “creu”, like crew. I guess that’s part of the appeal in the name for me. It’s not fixed.

You just spun off Listening Spot, right?

Yes, and I actually used those words, even though they’re giving gimmicky energy. Listening Spot and Crou, and some of the others that have come before could have been projects released under the name Chad Crouch, but I’m already pushing it when it comes to having a “right-sized” release catalog.

Is there anything different about the music?

Yes. There are no field recordings with Crou. And, there is, for now, a hint of vocals… Otherwise, pretty similar, really.

Anything else?

Hmm… I’ve really been enjoying old photographic images; glass plate negatives, sepia-toned silver gelatin prints; that kind of thing. Might be a visual direction for the project. It is for this release!

The debut release Coots by Crou is available on all music streaming sites (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tidal, etc. Friday, February 28th.

Earlier this week: Reflecting on some formative New Age exposure.