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"Foucault's writing could stand as poetry. His lyrics
daringly but lovingly lift the listener far beyond the pedestrian
where it's impossible to jump ahead and 'guess' any succeeding lines.
He may take you from point a to point b, but it's generally on a
previously undiscovered route..."
––Celtic & Folk Music Review
Jeffrey Foucault was born and raised in Southeastern Wisconsin.
His musical career began at seventeen, when evenings were spent
playing John Prine tunes on his father's beat up mail order guitar,
and spinning old records on a hand-me-down turntable in his bedroom.
When he was eighteen he stole a copy of Townes Van Zandt: Live and
Obscure from a friend, and immersed himself in the Texas folk of
writers like Van Zandt and Guy Clark.
With the Dylan-inspired singer songwriter movement as a foundation,
he waded through old country, alt country, bluegrass, and blues,
and began to identify closely with the midwestern regionalism of
Greg Brown. He discovered the poetry of Kenneth Rexroth, and by
nineteen had begun to try his hand at writing songs. By the time
he graduated with a History degree from the University of Wisconsin
in Madison, he was performing regularly at the Cafe Carpe in Fort
Atkinson Wisconsin.
In 2001, Foucault self-released his debut album, Miles from
the Lightning - a collection of dark narrative ballads, starkly
rendered love songs, allegories and elegies told in plain verse.
Equal parts folk, old country, and roots Americana, the album garnered
Foucault both attention and acclaim and kick-started a career of
extensive touring in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Along
the way, Foucault has played with artists and icons such as Guy
Clark, Greg Brown, Chris Smither, Kelly Joe Phelps, Gillian Welch,
Richard Buckner, Rosanne Cash, John Hammond and others.
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