Mobile-area rapper Josh Schock, performing under the name Afterschock, announced plans for the release of The Couch Chronicles Vol. 1, his fourth solo album and first recorded with a full live band called the Deep End.
A New Sound With a Full Band
The Deep End featured a four-piece lineup bringing together musicians from New Orleans and the Mobile area: Eddy Christmas on drums, Jerry “JBlakk” Henderson on bass, Chuck “Fadeaway” McNaulty on keyboards and backup vocals, and J.P. “The Skippa” on hand drum and harmonica. The mix of hip hop vocals with live instrumentation marked a new creative direction for Afterschock.
The album’s seven tracks were written over the course of 30 days, with Schock describing the songwriting process as deeply personal. The material explored themes of perseverance and financial struggle within the independent music scene, drawing from the challenges of sustaining a career in hip hop during difficult economic times.
Recorded at Mudbrick Media Studios
The recording sessions took place at Mudbrick Media Studios, where the collaboration between Afterschock and the Deep End came together over roughly four hours of studio time. The project was funded by Andrew Davis and Apollo Productions.
The album release event was scheduled for November 11, 2011, at Club 44 in Daphne, with the record also set to become available on iTunes. The Daphne venue provided a fitting launch point for an artist rooted in the Gulf Coast music community.