Local musician Adam Stanley will perform songs from his new release, "Requisite Renassaince," during an April 4 show at the Kitchen Pass. Globe/Roger Nomer

There's a cyclic nature to music, says Adam Stanley; a time to harvest and a time to sow.

The time spent preparing for the upcoming release of his second album, "Requisite Renaissance," has been a sowing period.

"With the album, I've been sowing a lot and cultivating my sound," the 28-year-old Joplin native said. "And now, I'll go back out and play."

A 13-song collection of intimate and personal works, the album was produced at Facet Sound in Joplin. It's a showcase for the singer-songwriter ranging from soft ballads like "From the Nest," to the blues-inflected "By the Sea" and the more exploratory opener, "Round We Go."

As he gears up for the hometown release party for "Requisite Renaissance," set for 9 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the Kitchen Pass, Stanley is excited about the opportunity to show off his "13 babies" to the fans he's grown in Southwest Missouri. As he sits down to talk about the new album, the passion that he has for his craft shines through every bit as much as when he sits down to perform.

Q.
What is the significance of the album title?

A. The title is a real personal thing for me. On one hand, you have renaissance, which means to be reborn. And I feel that creatively I've been reborn. I feel like I have a real hold on where I want to go with my writing. I really feel like I've got my whole life ahead of me in music. Also, "Requisite Renaissance" is a call to whoever would listen to the album that this world is filled with this strength of culture. You can go online and find people that have a focus on the purest essence of culture and all the different spectrums of art, from sculpture to song. To me, it's so available. When the Renaissance first came around, it wasn't available to the people. When they made culture available to the people, that's when there was this influx of art and music and really a progression within the human race. I just feel like everyone feels like they're right on the edge of something great, or something disastrous.

Q.
How long has the album been in the works?

A. In the works creatively? Four years. And production-wise, two years. We have gone through this recording process in a real unique way. The songs were written acoustically, then we tried to think about where they needed to go -- what the song needs to really get momentum with the listeners. You start with one layer and you take it all the way to the end and you can either hear that first layer in the song, or the song takes a completely different character and rolls over into this other song -- sometimes a rocking direction or a real ethereal, non-uniform song.

Q.
Is there a feeling you were trying to address with the songs? "From the Nest" talks about leaving the nest, and in another song, "Captive," you talk about freedom. Was that a theme when you were writing these songs?

A. It's very linear. My songs on the albums are 13 different characters. But if you just read the lyrics, they really do remind you of one another. Not only in meter and rhythm, but also in the context of the music. They very much had a personal appeal to me, but it has what I feel like is a mass message to anyone that would be in the same place I'm in, or a place of their own where they feel like nothing is speaking to them. "Captive" to me is a story about feeling like you can't break free, but you always have a medium you can connect to that you're completely at one, completely yourself in your own skin.

Q.
With these songs, did you start with the lyrics first or do you have a musical idea going in that spurs the direction the lyrics take?

A. Usually the way I write is I write the music. I feel the way the music moves; from there I can get a visualization in my head of who would exist in this world. Sometimes I'll think of a Lewis & Clark kind of environment where nothing has been discovered, and there you can color yourself into the song. And sometimes the song will just tell you exactly what it's about. Sometimes you're humming to a melody and a word pops out of your mouth, and then from there everything else connects.

Q.
Who are your influences?

A. James Taylor has been my influence since I was very young. And Paul Simon since I was young as well. Van Morrison, I've gotten into as I've become more understanding of what song structure is. Jim Croce was always there -- kind of that 1960s, 1970s songwriter movement. But then we have these really great musicians now. John Mayer, of course is a really good musician, but I really try to step more in the Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins realm of singer-songwriter than into that one kind of sound John Mayer has. I really like the idea of being able to move in all directions and still have my own voice.

Q.
When you finish a project like this, do you immediately set your sights on what you're going to do next, or will you cultivate this a little bit before looking ahead?

A. I am really excited about the next project. I have enough songs now to start working on it, and I look forward to it with great anticipation. I really am excited about getting back in the studio -- there is something about it. It's a torture, but also a very pleasurable experience. You get in there, and it's so quiet in the studio, and you want to fill it up with warm sounds and very good music. I feel like I'm in this whole creative pocket, and I have to keep moving forward.

On the Web

For more information about "Requisite Renaissance," shows and Stanley's other projects, visit www.stanleymusic.com"