Al Scorch

Born in Chicago, Illinois, under the name Al Schorsch, Al Scorch crafts concise, perceptive songs that align seamlessly with his intense banjo style. Music filled the Schorsch residence, with his father at the piano each evening for relaxation, his mother keeping her banjo within reach for regular playing, and his older brother Tom adopting the guitar. When Tom began composing and launched a band at age 14, Al took up the banjo to join in. By 2004 he had started writing his own material, and the brothers formed the Irish folk-rock outfit One of the Girls. Al later ventured out alone, booking solo appearances that often supported punk rock bills. Continued performances around Chicago and on tour introduced him to sympathetic players who became the Country Soul Ensemble. The group cultivated a devoted local audience, and in March 2012 they issued their first album, Tired Ghostly Town, on Plan-It-X Records. Awareness of Scorch and the Country Soul Ensemble soon reached listeners across the United States and abroad. In 2015 he put out the live set Live at the Spirit Store, captured during a show in Ireland. He then affiliated with Chicago’s respected roots imprint Bloodshot Records, which released his initial album for the label, Circle Round the Signs, in May 2016.