Finally! After an 8 year wait since Gillian Welch's last album, Soul Journey, it's been announced that a new record, The Harrow & The Harvest, will be released June 28! Check out tons o' tourdates here.
If you are anything like me, you have been missing Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, two of the finest songwriters around! There hadn't been a new release from the twosome (who usually record under the misleading single name "Gillian Welch") for 6 years! And sure, they've toured some, always playing the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival here in SF, but us diehards, we've been waiting what feels like forever some new material here!
And finally...
I'm so pleased to report that the Welch/Rawlings drought is over. New project Dave Rawlings Machine released A Friend of A Friend this past November! And, even better (if you are in the Bay Area or Los Angeles anyway), they will be playing instores at Amoeba Hollywood Feb 4 and Amoeba SF Feb 9!! The time has come at last to get our fix.
(See pics from the SF instore here!)
I finally got to hear A Friend of A Friend this past week. The album's production and arrangements have a more upbeat and orchestrated feel in spots than any of the albums under the Gillian Welch banner. I tend to like my music as doom and gloomy as it can get, so this change feels a bit strange, but when you really listen to the lyrics, in spots it's as much of a downer as you want it to be! It's just the music itself on several tracks that feels more buoyant than usual. The album is kind of Brian Wilson-esque in that way (and only that way!). It's also more padded out with strings, singers and such, I think due to the collaboration with Old Crow Medicine Show.
And finally...
I'm so pleased to report that the Welch/Rawlings drought is over. New project Dave Rawlings Machine released A Friend of A Friend this past November! And, even better (if you are in the Bay Area or Los Angeles anyway), they will be playing instores at Amoeba Hollywood Feb 4 and Amoeba SF Feb 9!! The time has come at last to get our fix.
(See pics from the SF instore here!)I finally got to hear A Friend of A Friend this past week. The album's production and arrangements have a more upbeat and orchestrated feel in spots than any of the albums under the Gillian Welch banner. I tend to like my music as doom and gloomy as it can get, so this change feels a bit strange, but when you really listen to the lyrics, in spots it's as much of a downer as you want it to be! It's just the music itself on several tracks that feels more buoyant than usual. The album is kind of Brian Wilson-esque in that way (and only that way!). It's also more padded out with strings, singers and such, I think due to the collaboration with Old Crow Medicine Show.
Since I have to work this weekend, I am not sure whether or not I am going to make it to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival here in Golden Gate Park, which is sad.
There are always a myriad of performers that I am excited about, but the one act I
like to see consistently every year at the festival is Gillian Welch. Gillian Welch consists of (duh) Gillian Welch (vocals, banjo, guitar) and David Rawlings (vocals and guitar). Rawlings is a phenomenal guitar player, with quick runs and showman's style. Still, he fairly rarely speaks onstage. Maybe that's why the "group" is called Gillian Welch and his name is not included except in liner notes, despite that he has cowritten almost every song on their records. Once I saw them play at The Fillmore and David took lead vocals at one point as they played a fantastic, slow and sad version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." I loved how unexpected it was, not just that David was singing, but his song of choice. Check out a similar performance of the song in Nashville:
Did I mention that Gillian Welch's music is fairly pure, old school country? The songs are meant to
sound as though they were written ages ago in the old time-y South, when they were actually written within the last 10 years or so by a California girl and a New England guy who have now planted themselves in Nashville. Their style is super Americana-y and my favorite aspect of their songs are the tight harmonies they include in almost every track. When I hear Gillian and David's songs I am also reminded of how important melodies and hooks are to songwriting, and how much most music these days is lacking either of those elements.
There are always a myriad of performers that I am excited about, but the one act I
like to see consistently every year at the festival is Gillian Welch. Gillian Welch consists of (duh) Gillian Welch (vocals, banjo, guitar) and David Rawlings (vocals and guitar). Rawlings is a phenomenal guitar player, with quick runs and showman's style. Still, he fairly rarely speaks onstage. Maybe that's why the "group" is called Gillian Welch and his name is not included except in liner notes, despite that he has cowritten almost every song on their records. Once I saw them play at The Fillmore and David took lead vocals at one point as they played a fantastic, slow and sad version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." I loved how unexpected it was, not just that David was singing, but his song of choice. Check out a similar performance of the song in Nashville:Did I mention that Gillian Welch's music is fairly pure, old school country? The songs are meant to
sound as though they were written ages ago in the old time-y South, when they were actually written within the last 10 years or so by a California girl and a New England guy who have now planted themselves in Nashville. Their style is super Americana-y and my favorite aspect of their songs are the tight harmonies they include in almost every track. When I hear Gillian and David's songs I am also reminded of how important melodies and hooks are to songwriting, and how much most music these days is lacking either of those elements.
