Last year, when Jeremy Joseph released his self-titled EP under the pseudonym Daddy Lion, he received almost instant critical acclaim, if not instant recognition. It’s clear why: the songs on that EP recall much of the greatness of rock and roll, stuffs it into bedroom recordings and ties it together with a constant grit.

Songs like “Divine” have the driving energy of a Springsteen track, while “Falling to Pieces (Through With You)” sounds like a sweet kiss off, as if tempering the bitterness of a break-up with twinkling fuzzy notes. “Tomorrow” also sounds utterly forlorn, but Joseph mixes in haunting harmonies and Sonic Youth-esque guitar sounds in with the bitter fuzz. None of this sounds at all bad.

Daddy Lion then grew to a be a full band project before shrinking back to Joseph’s solo moniker. However, while involved with the full band, he started a series of benefit shows (often for local charities like the Whitman Walker Clinic) at places like The Electric Maid and The Fridge, so it’s hardly surprising to see him involved in another benefit show tonight at the Strathmore Mansion. We talked to him about the freedom of using a pseudonym, establishing early relationships with the press and his past as a visual artist.