Tomorrow, February 3, 2015, Mishka Shubaly will release his third full-length album, Coward’s Path, a document of his wasted years. It is twelve tracks of drinking songs, snapshots from a life careening out of control. Somehow, it’s also funny.

He recorded the bare bones of the album on an 8-track reel-to-reel in an unheated, condemned squat in Long Island City in 2008, then sat on those basic tracks for years. Finally, Shubaly brought the 8-track recordings to his longtime friend and composer, engineer and producer Erik Nickerson. The result is a record that is less stripped-down rock n’ roll, like his previous releases, and more ensemble work, featuring accordion, upright bass, mellotron, vibes, weird percussion, maracas, bells, tape hiss, and even the sound of a passing airplane.

[audio:Pickup Lines.mp3|titles=Pickup Lines|artists=Mishka Shubaly]
“Pickup Lines” by Mishka Shubaly

Early in his sobriety, shabbily also began publishing his writing with Amazon. His biggest seller, “The Long Run,” a mini-memoir, sold more than 80,000 copies. For Amazon’s Kindle Singles line, Shubaly wrote an account of his redemption through running, as well as other episodes from a colorful life. His latest single is called Of Mice and Me and it captures the journey we all take in life — from being loved, to giving love.