a stark, analog lit rock statement confronting war, grief and the weight of witnessing

‘the witness’ arrives like a warning carried on smoke, a stark and aching rock song shaped by urgency, grief and moral clarity. joseph kuhl turns toward the war on gaza with songwriting that refuses to look away, pairing the spirit of blues and dylan with the haunting restraint of early rem. the result is a track that feels raw yet carefully held, letting emotion rise without theatrics.

based in athens, georgia, kuhl draws on decades of life in the middle east, and that history pulses under every line. his voice breaks through the mix with a steady, unflinching presence, while the band around him gives the song its muscle and tension. john neff’s guitar work adds grit and gravity, carlton ownes’ drumming shapes the shifting intensity, and jason fuller’s keys flicker like distant light in a darkened room. produced with longtime collaborator micah bennet, the track carries an analogue warmth, the kind that feels lived in, human, impossible to sterilise.

this is not a song designed for comfort. it is a document, a reckoning, a demand to witness what so many would prefer to ignore. powerful, painful and deeply necessary.

thank u for making this joseph kuhl 🖤