Throughout his entire career, Austin-based singer-songwriter Joe Pug has chosen to forgo the traditional music industry rules in favor of forging his own path. After quitting his job as a carpenter, Pug released 2008’s Nation of Heat EP by printing the CDs himself and sending them to listeners, free of charge. Since then, Pug has released two full-length albums, 2010’s Messenger and 2012’s The Great Despiser, and has performed at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, the Newport Folk Festival, and more. As Paste Magazine says, “Unless your surname is Dylan, Waits, Ritter or Prine, you could face-palm yourself to death trying to pen songs half as inspired as... Joe Pug’s.”
