Keys Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles SKU: DC784 Barcode: 0781484078418 22.00 £22.00 Genre: Folk Label: Drag City Released Date: 9th April 2021 Buying Format: 1LP Out of stock Back Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles’ debut is well titled: keys are what they play and keys unlock things too. Their trad bonafides are balanced with inquisitive playing that adds surprise as a formal songwriting and arranging tool. Spirited 21st Century folk music made of equal parts bluegrass, classical, country, gospel and improv. ‘Keys’ is, on first blush, a collection of guitar and banjo duets – but from the opening moment, it is clear that Bill and Nathan’s agreed-upon duo is a living organism, growing as it goes. Behind the stately figures of ‘Idumea’, a 19th Century southern hymnal played out on their stringed instruments, a low organ drone hums persistently, signalling that this music, while coming from traditional places, is asking more of itself, seeking sparks of inspiration to light the path forward. Bill and Nathan met a few years back, if time has any meaning. It didn’t seem to at the time – after the first night they hung out, it seemed as if they’d known each other for a while already. A year later, in 2018, they were booked as a duo at Cropped Out. Preparing for the show involved a correspondence exchanging lots of provisional ideas, thoughts and music back and forth from Chicago to Durham NC, then dashing through the ideas again on the festival grounds an hour before the show. From this seemingly hectic preparation, their playing that night was remarkably serene, a spiritual treatise clothed in the casual and natural manner of the proverbial porch, or in this case, riverside-jam, as the stage literally straddled the edge of the Ohio River. It was a stellar, simpatico first moment that asked for more moments like it. After several more sets the following year, they felt ready to roll tape (as the saying goes) and chose to do so in Chicago, with Nick Broste at The Shape Shoppe. Again, an easy rapport prevailed, allowing them to work through their collected ideas quickly and freely, with the moments of spontaneous decision that can come only with comfort and trust in each other’s presence. Throughout ‘Keys’, Bill and Nathan propel their power-folk engine with intent and feeling, joy and solemnity, as images of wariness, wonder, anger, deliberation, forgiveness, trust and devotion rise up from the music and roll it forward into the unknown, a place we can sense both players are happy to go. Eight of the ten songs featured are originals, with the other two coming from different centuries to this one. The diversity of song is matched by the instrumentation: in addition to Bill’s guitar and Nathan’s banjo, they add voice, piano, percussion, pump organ, requinto and electric organ to the richness and rusticity, the traditionalism and open space of the compositions. Artist Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles Genre Folk Label Drag City Buying Options 1LP Format 1LP Condition New Country UK Track Listings Idumea Honey Time Late For Your Funeral Again Dry Rations II Joy Ride I See God Dry Rations I Dowsing Truth The I in Silence Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Folk View Product Quick View Laura J Martin Prepared Folk | Summer Critics | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 17th May 2024 £20.00 Pre Order View Pre/Back Orders Laura J Martin Prepared £20.00 Genre: Folk Label: Summer Critics SKU: SC002LP Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 17th May 2024 Read More Pre Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Kate Rusby Angels & Men Folk | Pure | 180g, 2LP, Includes Download Code Released 20th November 2017 £25.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Kate Rusby Angels & Men £25.00 Genre: Folk Label: Pure SKU: PRVIN45 Formats: 180g, 2LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 20th November 2017 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View RM Hubbert Ampersand Extras Folk | Chemikal Underground | 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 9th October 2014 £15.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders RM Hubbert Ampersand Extras £15.00 Genre: Folk Label: Chemikal Underground SKU: CHEM217 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 9th October 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Sharron Kraus Kin Folk | Cardinal Fuzz | 1LP Released 2nd June 2023 £24.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Sharron Kraus Kin £24.00 Genre: Folk Label: Cardinal Fuzz SKU: CF0272 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 2nd June 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View David Ramirez My Love Is A Hurricane Folk | Sweetworld | 1LP Released 17th July 2020 £15.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders David Ramirez My Love Is A Hurricane £15.00 Genre: Folk Label: Sweetworld SKU: SW67292LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th July 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Jim Croce Life And Times Folk | BMG | 180g, 1LP Released 26th March 2021 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Jim Croce Life And Times £19.00 Genre: Folk Label: BMG SKU: 4050538630657 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 26th March 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Christy Moore The Early Years 1969-81 Folk | UMC | 2LP Released 20th November 2020 £26.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Christy Moore The Early Years 1969-81 £26.00 Genre: Folk Label: UMC SKU: 3512349 Formats: 2LP Released Date: 20th November 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Nearly New View Product Quick View Bill Keith And Jim Rooney The Collection Americana / Country | Waterfront | 1LP Released 17th November 2022 £8.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Bill Keith And Jim Rooney The Collection £8.00 Genre: Americana / Country Label: Waterfront SKU: nn253586 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th November 2022 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Hello, Blue Roses The Portrait Is Finished And… Folk | Locust | 180g, 1LP Released 28th June 2008 £8.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Hello, Blue Roses The Portrait Is Finished And… £8.00 Genre: Folk Label: Locust SKU: LOCUST106LP Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 28th June 2008 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Davy Graham Midnight Man Folk | Bread & Wine | 1LP Released 21st March 2019 £21.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Davy Graham Midnight Man £21.00 Genre: Folk Label: Bread & Wine SKU: BRINELP3 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 21st March 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Folk Start again
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