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Rank #317
Damien Jurado
From Wikipedia
Damien Troy Jurado is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, United States. Over the years, he has released albums on Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Loose, and is currently on his own label, Maraqopa Records.
Discography & Previews
Browse through and click an album to open and play 30-second previews streamed from Apple Music.
Waters Ave. S.
1997 · 13 tracks
- 1 Wedding Cake ↗ 2:44
- 2 Angel of May ↗ 5:12
- 3 Treasures of Gold ↗ 2:40
- 4 Yuma, AZ ↗ 2:55
- 5 The Joke Is Over ↗ 3:20
- 6 Space Age Mom ↗ 2:10
- 7 Circus, Circus, Circus ↗ 2:47
- 8 Hell or Highwater ↗ 2:05
- 9 Independent ↗ 3:48
- 10 Purple Anteater ↗ 2:16
- 11 Sarah ↗ 4:16
- 12 Halo Friendly ↗ 3:27
- 13 Waters Ave. S. ↗ 3:39
Ghost of David
2000 · 13 tracks
On My Way to Absence
2005 · 12 tracks
And Now That I’m in Your Shadow
2006 · 13 tracks
- 1 Hoquiam ↗ 3:31
- 2 Denton, TX. ↗ 3:03
- 3 I Had No Intentions ↗ 4:17
- 4 Hotel Hospital ↗ 1:09
- 5 And Now That I'm In Your Shadow ↗ 5:03
- 6 What Were the Chances ↗ 4:27
- 7 Shannon Rhodes ↗ 5:10
- 8 There Goes Your Man ↗ 2:14
- 9 I Am Still Here ↗ 4:38
- 10 Gasoline Drinks ↗ 4:36
- 11 Survived By Her Husband ↗ 2:47
- 12 Gas Station ↗ 3:26
- 13 Montesano ↗ 3:58
Caught in the Trees
2008 · 13 tracks
Saint Bartlett
2010 · 14 tracks
- 1 Cloudy Shoes ↗ 4:09
- 2 Arkansas ↗ 3:12
- 3 Rachel & Cali ↗ 3:01
- 4 Throwing Your Voice ↗ 3:02
- 5 Wallingford ↗ 2:32
- 6 Pear ↗ 1:53
- 7 Kansas City ↗ 4:01
- 8 Harborview ↗ 3:02
- 9 Kalama ↗ 2:28
- 10 The Falling Snow ↗ 3:48
- 11 Beacon Hill ↗ 3:03
- 12 With Lightning In Your Hands ↗ 2:28
- 13 Josephine (Bonus Track) ↗ 3:20
- 14 Everyone a Star (Bonus Track) ↗ 4:46
Visions of Us on the Land
2016 · 17 tracks
- 1 November 20 ↗ 2:01
- 2 Mellow Blue Polka Dot ↗ 3:28
- 3 QACHINA ↗ 3:48
- 4 Lon Bella ↗ 3:12
- 5 Sam and Davy ↗ 3:32
- 6 Prisms ↗ 2:19
- 7 ONALASKA ↗ 3:35
- 8 TAQOMA ↗ 3:41
- 9 On the Land Blues ↗ 2:47
- 10 Walrus ↗ 3:13
- 11 Exit 353 ↗ 3:14
- 12 Cinco de Tomorrow ↗ 3:27
- 13 And Loraine ↗ 2:35
- 14 A.M. AM ↗ 3:17
- 15 Queen Anne ↗ 2:21
- 16 Orphans in the Key of E ↗ 3:04
- 17 Kola ↗ 2:35
The Horizon Just Laughed
2018 · 11 tracks
Reggae Film Star
2022 · 12 tracks
- 1 Roger ↗ 3:21
- 2 Meeting Eddie Smith ↗ 3:38
- 3 Roger's Audition ↗ 2:00
- 4 What Happened To The Class Of '65? ↗ 4:33
- 5 Location, Undisclosed 1980 ↗ 2:19
- 6 Day Of The Robot ↗ 2:23
- 7 Ready For My Close Up ↗ 4:02
- 8 Taped In Front Of A Live Studio Audience ↗ 2:01
- 9 Whatever Happened To Paul Sand? ↗ 2:34
- 10 Lois Lambert ↗ 1:27
- 11 The Pain Of No Return ↗ 1:35
- 12 Gork Meets The Desert Monster ↗ 5:18
Sometimes You Hurt the Ones You Hate
2023 · 8 tracks
Motorcycle Madness
2023 · 14 tracks
- 1 Night Of The Leopard Man ↗ 1:27
- 2 St. Gregory Hotel ↗ 2:49
- 3 Leopard Man ↗ 2:58
- 4 Bergamot ↗ 3:14
- 5 The Shadow Of St. Gregory ↗ 1:23
- 6 Disliking The Spoons ↗ 2:34
- 7 After The Elephants ↗ 1:35
- 8 Ralph A. Hughes ↗ 8:26
- 9 The Day of St. Gregory ↗ 1:22
- 10 Joseph Billie Gwin ↗ 3:07
- 11 Song For Billy Hurst ↗ 3:24
- 12 Song For Catherine Kerkow ↗ 1:20
- 13 Passing The Elephants ↗ 3:35
- 14 I Was A Teenage Kook ↗ 2:41
Passing the Giraffes
2023 · 10 tracks
- 1 Hello, I'm Leaving ↗ 8:33
- 2 A Song for Catherine Kerkow ↗ 1:45
- 3 I Cannot Want Such a Thing ↗ 3:22
- 4 Get Ready to Come With Us ↗ 2:58
- 5 The Shame of Two Cities ↗ 3:02
- 6 Christine Francis ↗ 3:24
- 7 Passing the Giraffes ↗ 3:27
- 8 Vera Louise Gorman ↗ 2:58
- 9 Theresa ↗ 0:37
- 10 Look at Us, We're Walking ↗ 4:43
Motorcycle Madness ('25)
2025 · 10 tracks
- 1 Ralph A. Hughes ('25) ↗ 8:42
- 2 A Song for Catherine Kerkow ('25) ↗ 1:17
- 3 Bergamot ('25) ↗ 3:28
- 4 Disliking the Spoons ('25) ↗ 2:38
- 5 Song for Billy Hurst ('25) ↗ 3:22
- 6 Joseph Billy Gwin ('25) ↗ 3:10
- 7 Leopard Man ('25) ↗ 3:01
- 8 St. Gregory Hotel ('25) ↗ 2:52
- 9 I Was a Teenage Kook ('25) ↗ 2:32
- 10 Passing the Elephants ('25) ↗ 4:18
Private Hospital
2025 · 11 tracks
All Are Welcome In: A Return to Maraqopa
2026 · 11 tracks
- 1 Everyone a Star (Redux) ↗ 4:19
- 2 Life Away From the Garden (Redux) ↗ 2:49
- 3 Magic Number (Redux) ↗ 3:56
- 4 Maraqopa (Redux) ↗ 4:32
- 5 Metallic Cloud (Redux) ↗ 3:44
- 6 Museum of Flight (Redux) ↗ 3:59
- 7 ONALASKA (Redux) ↗ 3:33
- 8 Plains to Crash (Redux) ↗ 4:21
- 9 Reel to Reel (Redux) ↗ 4:09
- 10 Silver Donna (Redux) ↗ 5:14
- 11 Silver Timothy (Redux) ↗ 3:55
Motorcycle Madness: Studio Day 1, November 28th, 2022
2026 · 9 tracks
- 1 Saint Gregory Hotel (Take 1) ↗ 3:05
- 2 Bergamot (Take 1) ↗ 3:18
- 3 Joseph Billy Gwin (Take 1) ↗ 2:40
- 4 Leopard Man (Take 1) ↗ 2:26
- 5 Song for Billy Hurst (Take 2) ↗ 2:32
- 6 I Was A Teenage Kook (Take 2) ↗ 2:36
- 7 Ralph A. Hughes (Take 2) ↗ 3:47
- 8 Disliking the Spoons (Take 2) ↗ 2:25
- 9 Passing the Elephants (Take 1) ↗ 3:39
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Waters Ave. S.Damien Jurado199713 tracks -
Rehearsals for DepartureDamien Jurado199910 tracks -
Ghost of DavidDamien Jurado200013 tracks -
I Break ChairsDamien Jurado200212 tracks -
Where Shall You Take Me?Damien Jurado200310 tracks -
On My Way to AbsenceDamien Jurado200512 tracks -
And Now That I’m in Your ShadowDamien Jurado200613 tracks -
Caught in the TreesDamien Jurado200813 tracks -
Other People’s SongsDamien Jurado20109 tracks -
Saint BartlettDamien Jurado201014 tracks -
MaraqopaDamien Jurado201210 tracks -
Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal SonDamien Jurado201410 tracks -
Visions of Us on the LandDamien Jurado201617 tracks -
The Horizon Just LaughedDamien Jurado201811 tracks -
In the Shape of a StormDamien Jurado201910 tracks -
What's New, Tomboy?Damien Jurado202010 tracks -
The Monster Who Hated PennsylvaniaDamien Jurado202110 tracks -
Reggae Film StarDamien Jurado202212 tracks -
Sometimes You Hurt the Ones You HateDamien Jurado20238 tracks -
Motorcycle MadnessDamien Jurado202314 tracks -
Passing the GiraffesDamien Jurado202310 tracks -
Motorcycle Madness ('25)Damien Jurado202510 tracks -
Private HospitalDamien Jurado202511 tracks -
All Are Welcome In: A Return to MaraqopaDamien Jurado202611 tracks -
Motorcycle Madness: Studio Day 1, November 28th, 2022Damien Jurado20269 tracks
Deep Dive
Overview
Damien Jurado is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, whose sustained career across three decades has established him as a fixture in indie rock. Born in 1972, Jurado emerged from the Pacific Northwest indie scene in the mid-1990s and has maintained a prolific output across multiple record labels—Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Loose, and his own Maraqopa Records—while building a devoted audience through consistent artistic exploration. His work blends the introspective songwriting tradition of folk and singer-songwriter idioms with the textural and production sensibilities of contemporary indie rock.
Formation Story
Damien Troy Jurado grew up in Seattle, Washington, during an era when the city’s music scene was undergoing seismic transformation. The grunge explosion of the early 1990s had reshaped the cultural landscape around him, yet Jurado’s instincts pulled him toward a quieter, more introspective strain of indie music rooted in acoustic songwriting and lyrical depth. He came of age as a musician in the mid-1990s, drawing on the lineage of singer-songwriters while operating within the broader indie rock ecosystem that thrived in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. His early work reflected both his geographic origins and a sensibility that valued emotional precision and melodic subtlety over bombast.
Breakthrough Moment
Jurado released his debut album, Waters Ave. S., in 1997 on Sub Pop, the legendary Seattle label that had championed Nirvana and Soundgarden. The album’s appearance on Sub Pop—a stamp of credibility within the indie rock world—established Jurado as a serious artist within the singer-songwriter tradition. His follow-up, Rehearsals for Departure (1999), deepened his reputation, signaling that his debut was not a one-off but the beginning of a sustained artistic practice. These early albums introduced listeners to his introspective approach and set the template for much of what would follow: finely crafted songs anchored by Jurado’s voice and acoustic instrumentation, recorded with a focus on clarity and emotional resonance.
Peak Era
Jurado’s creative peak extended through the 2000s and into the early 2010s, a period during which he released a series of acclaimed albums that showcased both consistency and evolution. Ghost of David (2000), I Break Chairs (2002), Where Shall You Take Me? (2003), and On My Way to Absence (2005) demonstrated his command of form and his ability to refine his sound without abandoning his core identity. By the 2010s, with albums like Maraqopa (2012)—which shared its title with his own record label—Jurado had established himself not only as an artist but as an independent operator within the music industry. Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son (2014) and Visions of Us on the Land (2016) extended this period of sustained productivity and artistic relevance, cementing his status as a significant voice in contemporary indie rock.
Musical Style
Jurado’s music is characterized by meticulous songwriting, understated vocal delivery, and a production approach that emphasizes clarity and space. His arrangements typically begin with acoustic guitar or piano, layered with subtle electric textures and atmospheric production choices that recall the indie rock tradition stretching back through artists like Elliott Smith and early Sebadoh. His vocal style is often described as intimate and conversational, eschewing dramatic dynamics in favor of directness and emotional understatement. Over his career, Jurado has experimented with instrumentation and sonic textures—introducing strings, electronic elements, and varied production techniques—yet his fundamental commitment to song-centered composition and lyrical introspection has remained constant. His work exists at the intersection of folk-influenced singer-songwriter tradition and contemporary indie rock production, a space he has occupied and refined consistently across nearly three decades.
Major Albums
Waters Ave. S. (1997)
Jurado’s Sub Pop debut introduced his introspective sensibility and established the melodic, guitar-centered aesthetic that would define his subsequent work.
Ghost of David (2000)
Released on Sub Pop, this album deepened Jurado’s craft and demonstrated his ability to sustain artistic vision across multiple releases, earning expanded attention within indie rock circles.
Maraqopa (2012)
Sharing its title with Jurado’s own record label, this album marked a significant moment of artistic independence and represented the culmination of his evolution as both songwriter and independent entrepreneur.
Visions of Us on the Land (2016)
This album showcased Jurado’s continued relevance and creative vitality, demonstrating his ability to remain engaged and productive within the contemporary indie rock landscape.
Signature Songs
- “Waters Ave. S.” — The opening statement from his debut, setting the emotional and sonic tone for his artistic identity.
- “Ghost of David” — A title track that exemplifies his introspective approach to composition and his ability to convey complex emotion through restraint.
- “Where Shall You Take Me?” — A signature demonstration of his melodic gift and the emotional directness that characterizes his vocal approach.
- “On My Way to Absence” — A song that encapsulates the philosophical and introspective concerns that run through his catalog.
Influence on Rock
Jurado’s influence operates within the indie rock and singer-songwriter ecosystems, where his sustained output and artistic consistency have provided a model for independent operation and long-term artistic vision. While his work may not have generated the mainstream cultural penetration of some contemporaries, his presence on Secretly Canadian, Sub Pop, and his own Maraqopa Records has situated him as a respected figure within alternative and indie rock communities. His commitment to acoustic songwriting and emotional specificity has resonated with listeners and fellow musicians who value precision and introspection over commercial calculation. The broader trajectory of 21st-century indie rock—its emphasis on DIY aesthetics, independent labels, and sustained artistic practice—reflects values that Jurado has embodied throughout his career.
Legacy
Damien Jurado’s legacy rests on nearly three decades of consistent artistic production and the successful establishment of his own independent record label, Maraqopa Records. His releases across multiple labels and his continued productivity into the 2020s demonstrate a commitment to his craft that transcends commercial cycles and industry trends. Jurado represents a particular strain of Pacific Northwest artistry—the quieter, more introspective alternative to the louder rock tradition that emerged from Seattle in the 1990s. His sustained presence on streaming platforms and his ongoing release schedule suggest that his work continues to find audiences among listeners who value melodic sophistication and emotional honesty. As an artist who has navigated multiple eras of music distribution and industry structure—from the CD era through digital streaming—Jurado’s career exemplifies the possibilities for independent artistic sustainability in contemporary music.
Fun Facts
- Jurado has released multiple albums in a single calendar year, most notably in 2023 when he released three albums and again in 2025-2026, demonstrating an extraordinary level of creative productivity.
- His record label, Maraqopa Records, shares its name with one of his albums, reflecting his integration of artistic and entrepreneurial identity.
- Jurado has explored thematic and stylistic variation across his catalog, with releases spanning from intimate acoustic work to more expansive arrangements, suggesting a restless creative intelligence.
- The title Motorcycle Madness has appeared multiple times across his catalog, including as both a 2023 album and reappearing in 2025 and as a retrospective project documenting a specific recording session from November 2022, indicating his interest in revisiting and recontextualizing his work.