I spent last weekend in Asheville, North Carolina after being invited to attend the Transfiguration Festival hosted by my good friends Matt and Mark who run Harvest Records. This Transfiguration was celebrating Harvests 20th birthday, which has become a pillar in the Asheville community. Over a three day period they hosted shows and events around the city and it was really inspiring to see the world they’ve built around them.
One such event was Found In Sound which took place in a theatre downtown where different speakers gave presentations on the varying impacts music has had on their lives. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in but it was an incredibly emotional night. I truly laughed, cried and was just generally blown away by everyones speeches - which were often accompanied by live music and animations.
And, I got to perform!
A few weeks back Mark told me of his friend Sarah who was going to be reading an essay at Found In Sound that she wrote centered around a Bill Fay song. Sarah discovered Bill Fays music after seeing a sticker, written by Mark, on my album Singing Saw - recommending it to anyone who may be a fan of Bill Fay. Sarah then went on to fall in love with Bill Fays music, most notably his song Plan D.
I won’t try to capture the beauty of Sarahs essay in which she described her longing for a song that felt like hers and then finding it with Plan D. I wouldn’t be able to do it justice, but I think they plan on posting the video from that night at some point which I’ll post here when I get the chance.
But after Sarah finished her essay I got to take the stage as an unannounced guest and perform Plan D. It’s funny - though I’m such a huge Bill Fan I had never really connected with this specific song until reading the essay and learning the lyrics. In the essay Sarah talks about the near improbable chances that any of us exist at all and notes her favorite lyrics in the song:
And can't you see you're in on it?
You were born though you need not
Have been born here at all
And is that not some cause
For worship, being born among these trees?
Though the beast is lurking
It was a really special night. Thank you Sarah and thank you Mark! I think that sometimes, as a musician, I become slightly desensitized, being around music so often, but hearing everyones stories was such a great reminder of the importance and magic of this thing we call music. It’s really truly the best.
A cover of me rehearsing Plan D before going on stage below the paywall.
A few other things worth note:
My new friend Mark Lenderman (the father of the great MJ Lenderman) took me fly fishing for the first time while I was in Asheville. Something I’ve never done - but always wanted to do. Thanks, Mark!
And speaking of the magical properties of music - Nick Caves new album Wild God is out today. I listened to it right at midnight as it hit streaming platforms and it so, so beautiful. The first track is my favorite. He also just sat down with Stephen Colbert to discuss the magic of making music amongst other things. Listening to his take on the world will never get old.
Lastly, got lots of fun stuff coming up: Babies shows, some festivals, my own festival!, a Portuguese tour backed by an orchestra, etc. Get tickets to everything here.
