SOLO ALBUM RELEASE SHOW SEPTEMBER 17 // THANKYOU
Here at the hinge where summer meets fall, the light seems to change character completely and all at once. The transition from dusty, syrupy August into the sharp clarity of September feels like a reawakening to me every time, a head-clearing shift. The kitchen table is piled with cucumbers and peaches, the sunflowers outside the window busy with honeybees and goldfinches; everyone stocking up, making the most of the season. I’ve never been home all summer before, and despite all the small inconveniences and towering sorrows of the pandemic, I’ve loved the silver lining of being here to receive all the gifts that our little backyard ecosystem has to offer.
It’s been a couple weeks now since we released Long Day in the Milky Way, and if things were still proceeding according to the original plan, right about now I’d be deep into the logistical details for a fall’s worth of touring around with the band. It’s still hard to wrap my head around the fact that such a thing won’t be possible for the foreseeable future. Playing the new songs night after night, getting deeper inside them as a band, introducing them around to all my favorite stages and towns, is such a huge part of the arc of an album. I know we’ll get to play it live together someday, but until then this chapter is bound to feel incomplete.
That said, I still want to find some interesting ways to perform versions of the record within the limited options available, and I’ll attempt a few different takes on this over the course of the fall. For starters, I’m going to strip it all the way back and play the album in a way I definitely never envisioned: solo, livestreaming from home.
The whole ethos of this record is togetherness and group effort, a collective interweaving of voices and sounds, so the idea of performing it by myself is a slightly daunting prospect. But, as a listener I’m usually interested in hearing the bare-bones versions of songs I’ve only heard on record, and I’m going on faith that there will be something of value to be found by leaping off this particular cliff. Also, with no one else on stage waiting around for me to start the next song, I’ll be free to talk as much as seems relevant, and I’ll be happy to share some thoughts about the songs and recording process, take questions, etcetera.
This is a ticketed show on Thursday, September 17 at 8pm EDT, hosted by Veeps. We’ve set it up with a sliding scale of prices from $10-$40, so you can choose what makes sense for you to pay. There is, of course, a live chat so you can pipe up with comments or questions, and if you can’t make it to watch live, the show will stay up for ticketholders for a few days afterwards. You can buy your tickets anytime right here.
A little later in the fall we’ll get a minimal band together and offer another rendition of the record with a few more colors filled in, a little more flesh on the bones. But more on this once I’ve survived the solo outing.
THANKYOU
I’m grateful to all the music writers who have given the record close listens and nice reviews thus far. Here are a few snippets:
“A cinematic dream, one fashioned like a Kelly Reichardt film… best savored on a firefly-filled summer evening as darkness creeps in.” No Depression
"From start to finish Delmhorst takes the listener for an emotional ride that goes from whisper to roar as she weaves through melodic moments with poignant peaks and valleys.” American Songwriter
"As so often is the case with Delmhorst's songs, each one provides the listener with a tiny refuge, a place of comfort to curl inside and ride out the storms of the world, such is the soothing effect of her voice and vision. She's exactly the balm we need in this particular moment of both individual and collective grief." Folk Alley
"The songs on this record attest to the darkness that’s to be found, but Delmhorst writes with such prodigious insight and earnest seeking that her songs always allow for the maximum passage of light… Delmhorst is here, as ever, at the top of her game, peerless.”
Performer Mag
Most of all, I’m thankful for the notes and posts from so many of you sharing your thoughts about the record. These songs aim to be useful, and if they make so much a an hour of this crazy year pass easier for anyone, I’ll consider the whole venture a success. Hang in there and I’ll hope to commune with some of you at the show in a couple weeks.
Yours in the new light, *kd
UPCOMING SHOWS
SEPT 17 - LONG DAY IN THE MILKY WAY Solo Online Release Show/Q&A - Tix