Caleb Caudle is anxious. It’s certainly relatable, the urgency of the world’s problems are enough to make anyone an anxious ball of worry. On his latest single “Anxious,” a standout from his upcoming album Heavy Thrill (out June 5th via Caudle’s own Handplow Records in partnership with Soundly/Thirty Tigers)
But this music and message isn’t asking folks to fix the world. It’s empathizing and asking them to look around at their surroundings, notice what they can do where they are planted, and do that thing. This music is saying that it’s okay to be a work in progress, and the becoming and growing is the point, not the mastery of the thing.
“For this record, I wanted to focus on embracing the patina of life,” says Caudle. “Our plans rarely shake out the way we want them to. I’ve always dealt with anxiety of some sort, but through therapy and routines I’ve learned to navigate it the best I can. The thought of becoming a father in this world of chaos in some ways heightens that, but it’s offset by the sheer joy of welcoming a baby boy who will be full of hope, wonder and promise. Heavy Thrill is about doing the most with what you’re given and weathering the storms.”
Caudle is practicing this every day, tending to his own garden and taking care of the people in his own backyard. For every 100 records sold, he is donating 1,000 meals to his community through the Northwestern North Carolina branch of the Second Harvest Food Bank — not just for this record, but in perpetuity.
On Heavy Thrill, Caudle’s personal evolution mirrors his artistic journey. He takes full creative control, self-producing for the first time while recording at the storied Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, Tenn., where reverence for tradition meets his singular artistic vision. At its heart, the record searches for meaning without certainty, dignity without recognition, and a hope that exists honestly within a fractured world.
Heavy Thrill was mixed by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Modest Mouse) and mastered by Pete Lyman (Chris Stapleton, John Prine), two of Caudle’s favorite engineers, who have over 40 Grammy nominations between them. The sound reflects where Caudle comes from: the rich country traditions he was immersed in as a child, blended seamlessly with the indie music he grew up hearing on the radio. The result feels rooted yet restless — aware of its lineage but unafraid to wander.
With the release of this album, Caudle is also launching his own label, aptly named Handplow Records, for the steel handplow painted a rusty red that sits in his great uncle’s yard, across the street from his home. The humble tool was used for generations of tobacco farming in Caudle’s family, its wooden handles worn smooth by years of use stretching back to his great-grandfather. It represents the toil and dedication it takes to do things the hard way — and the sweetness that can yield.
“Much like farming, my career has been about putting in the work,” Caudle says. “You can’t always control the weather, but you can show up every day and give it your best.”
