Josh Evert

Earlier in his career, Evert was the frontman of Milwaukee mainstay The Fatty Acids, releasing four self-recorded albums between 2008 and 2016 that established his long-running commitment to DIY production and analog sensibility. He continues that collaborative spirit in Dinner Set Gang, a project with longtime creative partner Derek DeVinney, which has produced both the La Fata Turchina EP and the full-length Are You Someplace Else? (2022).

Evert’s work also extends into film and television, where his compositions have appeared in projects such as Al Jazeera’s Faultlines, The Laura Flanders Show, and productions for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and The Makwa Initiative, as well as independent films including The Sacred and The Snake and We Are Not Ghouls (2024).

The songs on Photogenic Memory trace back to residencies at Homestead National Monument and ACRE, to stretches of backpacking through Latin America, to the isolation of the pandemic, and to recent moments of personal loss. That temporal sprawl is not incidental; it becomes part of the album’s core idea. The title itself points to the ways we revise and aestheticize the past. Photogenic Memory explores how personal and collective histories are softened, distorted, and re-presented, whether in intimate relationships or in broader societal narratives.

Sonically, the album reflects the tension between fragmentation and cohesion. Glitch-driven rhythms collide with post-rock intricacy and a compositional sensibility informed by modern classical structures, all rendered through meticulously crafted production. Beyond structure and melody, the record is deeply concerned with sound itself. Evert’s evolution as a mix engineer and producer becomes part of the concept, subtly “correcting” or reframing earlier material, reinforcing the album’s meditation on revision and perception.

Despite its abstraction, Photogenic Memory is anchored by pop instinct. Strong melodic cores and memorable motifs run throughout, revealing themselves gradually beneath the surface detail. It is, at once, intricate and immediate. While its deeper shadows reveal themselves with intentional listening, the record is eminently engaging; a compelling, stimulating experience.

The record, naturally, reflects Evert’s collaborative ecosystem. It features contributions from artists including Mol Sullivan, Emma Witmer, Barry Paul Clark, Rob Weiss, D’Amato (Beauty Steps), Ryan Thomas Reeve, Will Hansen, Sean Behling, and Andy Kosanke.

At its core, Photogenic Memory is infused with a sense of urgency about the role of art itself. For Evert, finishing the record meant holding onto a simple belief – that art matters. That artists matter. Across disciplines and formats, Evert’s output reflects a consistent ethos: to treat sound as both material and environment, and to build music that feels at once pulled raw from the fount of inspiration yet is deliberately shaped, intentional, and compelling.