Night, Owl

The third full-length album by alt-country outfit Meatyard out July 11

Vidiots to host event celebrating the posthumous release of the final album by Film Independent President Josh Welsh

When he died on Dec. 31, 2024, Josh Welsh was a luminary who had dedicated his entire professional life to championing independent film and its creators. Over the three decades he spent at Film Independent, Welsh rose the ranks from volunteer to the organization’s president. He was lauded and cherished by countless artists, from Spirit Award and Oscar winners to studio heads, government officials, and noted philanthropists.

The multitalented Welsh also led the alt-country outfit Meatyard, whose final album was completed months before his death after a five-year battle with colon cancer. Welsh described the band’s music as “hokum-free soulful twang,” a simplicity that belies the masterful musicianship and rich sound found on all three Meatyard albums, including the latest, Night, Owl, released on all major digital platforms on July 11, 2025. A limited edition vinyl LP will also be available on the band’s website.

Night, Owl’s release will be celebrated with live performances and a video tribute on July 13 at legendary LA film and video spot Vidiots, which issued the following statement:

“Though terribly bittersweet, Vidiots is honored and grateful to be able to host the record release party for Night, Owl. Josh Welsh was a very longtime friend and colleague of Vidiots’ Executive Director Maggie Mackay. This beautiful friendship, his deep enthusiasm for Vidiots’ relaunch, and unbridled support of the global film community will never be forgotten.”

In addition to Welsh, Night, Owl personnel include Welsh’s nephew Rupert Sandes on lead guitar; Berklee College of Music-trained vocalist and pianist Claudia Combs Carty; bassist Brian Huskey, a prolific actor whose credits include Bob’s Burgers and Veep; and drummer Kevin Jarvis, who has backed Brian Wilson, Leonard Cohen, Iggy Pop, and John Doe. Jarvis also recorded and mixed the album, which was mastered by 15-time Grammy-nominated engineer Dave Schultz of D2 Mastering.

“Even though I’ve done so much in film and it’s what I’m passionate about, my true love and what drives me creatively is music, as a listener, as a performer, as a songwriter. Music to me is just incredible,” said Welsh in an interview conducted before his death.

Mostly self-taught, Welsh’s playing began with strumming his older siblings’ guitars as a kid. Later on, he invested in lessons from a PhD guitar student who was a cashier at Magruder’s, where Welsh worked as a bag boy.

“I remember the first chord he taught me was an A minor,” Welsh said. “I heard it and I was like, ‘That’s how ‘Angie’ begins!’ So from there, I got decent.”

Welsh then channeled his interest in punk and more avant-garde rock in a short-lived band during his undergrad time at Kenyon College. After completing a PhD program in Philosophy at Johns Hopkins and a teaching stint at Swarthmore, Welsh moved to Los Angeles, where he dove into music-making more intentionally. 

“I bought a cheap four-track recorder and a drum machine and learned how to use every aspect of that recorder, recording backwards, slowing and speeding up the tape so I could sound like a super deep voice or a high-pitched voice. I learned how to bounce tracks and do background vocals,” Welsh recalled. “I went by the name Throttlebox. All the early stuff was loud, fast, electric, fuzzy.”

Welsh changed his musical moniker to Meatyard—in honor of the visionary American photographer of the same name—when he began a cross-country collaboration with his older brother Philip, who lived in the DC area. The music became much more acoustic, slower, and focused on Philip’s lyrics, who sent Welsh hundreds of poems over the years before his death in 2014.

“It started as a challenge. He’d send me a poem and be like, ‘There’s no fucking way you could ever sing this.’ He’d put in weird jammed-up lyrics or extra lines to trick me. I would figure out how to sing almost every one,” said Welsh.

“Philip had a very dark and morose sense of humor. I’d leaf through his poems and think, no, that’s not a song. But at this point in my life, those morose songs actually strike a chord.”

These tracks include “Obit”—whose lyrics include, “I could hear my time coming/Went and slipped on through/You might think it’s too soon/Then again, overdue.”

“Meatyard has been around for a long time with different lineups over the years. Me and Rupert are the core of it, and we keep getting together and playing and bringing on other musicians,” Welsh explained. “He’s an amazing guitar player, songwriter, and singer, a far better musician than me.”

When he began playing with Meatyard in the early 2000s, Sandes described himself as “the worst kind of guitarist.”

“At that time, all I wanted to do was play bad guitar solos over everything, no matter how inappropriate it might have been. In spite of that, Josh invited me into his world of spare folk music and rock and roll, and I began to learn how to play guitar in a way that served his songs,” says Sandes, who also produced and handled drums, bass, organ/keys, and backing vocals on the track “Drowning and Waving.” 

He adds, “My favorite part about making this record was getting to spend quality time with Josh, who I loved so much. It was also very meaningful to help him make this music that was so important to him, knowing that it would be the last music he ever made. Being a part of Meatyard has been such a gift.”

Welsh connected with Jarvis through his wife Katherine Ruppe, who participated in talent development programs at Film Independent. “Josh was a fan of some of the folks I played with, so I hoodwinked him into letting me play drums on earlier Meatyard records as well as record and play on this one,” says Jarvis.

“I love how we all came together for the singular purpose of realizing Josh’s vision for these amazing songs,” he adds. “I am thrilled and honored to be part of this very special record with Josh and the great group of musician friends he assembled.”

Brian Huskey, whose college band Bicycle Face recently reunited for a tour on the East Coast, was recruited after trading musical ideas with Welsh. When it came time to record, Welsh had chosen four songs for which Huskey had written bass parts.

“Putting a collective focus into shaping the songs tapped into something I had been missing in my life for a while. I’m grateful to have found it again,” says Huskey.

“When we recorded, we knew Josh was still fighting cancer, but that never became a factor in the experience because of Josh’s joyful approach and open-heartedness with us,” Huskey adds. “Being part of Meatyard means so very much to me because I am honored and blessed to be a small part of Josh’s beautiful creative legacy.”

Claudia Combs Carty worked with Welsh at Film Independent while also pursuing a musical career. “She’s recorded an album and an EP, and has an amazing voice,” Welsh said. “She ended up playing piano, too, and one song on B3 organ, always game for whatever idea would come up in the studio. The B3 was really impromptu. She’s not a B3 player, but she got beautiful sounds out of it and it works with the song.”

“I can’t say that I’ve had an experience working with other musicians that felt as encouraging, sweet, or full of heart,” says Carty. “Josh had a way of inspiring people across the board and this was no exception. The experience meant so much to me, to be able to contribute to these beautiful and very meaningful songs, as well as the time being with Josh.”

“On this album, I went in saying, ‘I don’t know if these need drums and bass, but let’s try it.’ And every fucking time we did it, I was like, ‘That’s the song! Now it’s got a pulse!’,” Welsh recalled. “I wrote the structure and melody, and Philip wrote the lyrics, but these other musicians are bringing that thing to life in ways I never could have hoped or imagined.”

The first Meatyard album, Toot Toot Boom Boom, described by Welsh as “written from the perspective of someone in heaven,” was released in 2008. 2010’s Sweet Old Green Life featured a fuller sound thanks to the addition of Jarvis on drums and Martin Garner on bass. 

On these albums, Welsh played rhythm guitar and sang with Molly Hansen, who also played cello, with slide and electric guitar by Sandes. The two albums were produced by Brian Reeves, who has worked with artists including Billy Idol, Selena Gomez, and Giorgio Moroder, and recorded at Jungle Room Studio.

“In all sincerity, I don’t fear dying,” Welsh said in 2024. “I love being alive, every aspect of it. I hope I can live as long as possible. There’s still so much I want to do.”

Along with his legacy in film, Welsh’s music lives on. Night Owl will be available July 11 on all major digital platforms, including Apple, Spotify, and Amazon. A limited-run vinyl LP will be available for purchase at the July 13 event; remaining copies will be available for purchase on the band’s website.

For media requests, please send us an email.

Track Listing & Liner Notes

Musicians