Hamell on Trial is a one-man punk band—and by punk we mean (mostly) loud, fast music informed by politics, passion, energy and intelligence, played by a guy with a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of humor. His fifth record, Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs, is slightly less of a one-man show; it wouldn’t exist without the contributions of another, more diminutive man. Hamell’s three-year-old son, Detroit, is all over the album, as a character in his dad’s lyrics and as a guest vocalist. The album is an exploration of family values that’s based in reality, spiked with the hysterically bitter perspective of an undeniably talented daddy-o.

Born in Syracuse, NY, Ed Hamell started many a band before grasping the amazing appeal of autonomy: the solo musician’s ability to write a song and perform it the same evening. After freeing himself from the spiritual and financial burdens of a full band, he found himself with a bunch of new songs and a gig at a benefit concert. “I had never played solo before and never really listened to acoustic music,” he recalls. “Every musician in town was going to be there, so, knowing that I was going to be scrutinized, and also to differentiate myself from the James Taylors of the world, I decided to call it Hamell on Trial, figuring it would be a one-time deal. After the show, I was offered a record deal from a local label, something I had never come close to in my band years, so even an idiot like me realized I was on to something, and the name stuck.”

The Trial eventually adjourned for Albany, NY, where a steady Wednesday night gig at a place called the Half Moon Café drew a whopping 10 to 12 people a week. That lucky few got to witness the musician incorporating elements of comedy, theater, spoken word, and even a cheek-shaking “face solo” or two, as Hamell attempted to further stake a claim for himself far from standard singer-songwriter territory. At the same time, he notes, “I realized that the sonic structure of the acoustic guitar was broader than that of the electric guitar, so I could fill in where the bass and drums would be, all by myself.” But it was only after another relocation—this time to Austin, TX—that things started to click, including a regular spot at The Electric Lounge, a showcase at South By Southwest, and a contract with Mercury Records, which ultimately produced two albums (Big as Life and The Chord is Mightier Than the Sword; highlights of both were later collected as Mercuroyale).

Parting ways with both the Lone Star State and his major-label home, Hamell moved to New York in 1997 and started Such-A-Punch Media, on which he self-released his next disc, Choochtown, an interconnected collection of songs about drunken, disaffected characters of the sort he’d met while tending bar back in Syracuse. “A lot of them are true stories,” he says about his career-long tendency to write about criminals and other shady sorts. “I gravitate to the darker stuff. I’ve been accused of being misanthropic, but in reality, I hope I affectionately give voice to the disenfranchised, and they’re infinitely more fun to write about than Christians or Republicans.”

A serious car accident while touring waylaid Hamell on Trial for a year, during which time he started work on a one-man play. Before he could finish it, however, the European success of Choochtown encouraged him to tour the continent, and an invitation to open a number of U.S. shows for longtime supporter Ani DiFranco led to a live album, Ed’s Not Dead/Hamell Comes Alive. 2003 brought his acclaimed Righteous Babe Records debut, Tough Love.

Propelled by critical success and his newfound status as a father, Ed conceived Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs, a record that somehow manages to be both sweet and apocalyptic. “This isn’t one of those Barneyed-out, ‘I’ve got a kid, isn’t that precious’ kind of albums,” Hamell comments. “I’m trying to make the point that us left wingers have to breed. There’s too much breeding going on with the right.” With another LP under his belt and a vigorous North American tour on the horizon, this firebrand of a one-man band is on a roll. And if you don’t think this dude can pull it off, you obviously haven’t seen him in action. Take in a show, and you’ll realize that Hamell knows best.

Check out Hamell's web site: www.HamellOnTrial.com