Bonnie "Prince" Billy Teams Up With John Anderson For New Duet Downstream
Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: David Ferguson
Bonnie "Prince" Billy has shared another single from his upcoming album.
Downstream finds the Kentucky artist, real name Will Oldham, teaming up with Country Music Hall of Famer John Anderson for a minimal, gentle country duet that tackles the state of the environment. It'll feature on Oldham's new album, 'The Purple Bird', due out on January 31. Commenting on the ballad, he said:
"One of my favorite recorded John Anderson performances is a duet he sang with Merle Haggard called The Winds of Change on Merle's 1996 record. It’s a minor-key ballad about climate change and over-development, the compromise of our environment’s integrity at the hands of humans. Downstream, though in a major key, hits on the same ideas. I don’t know how to explain how it felt to witness this master of song bring, beautifully and humbly, his experience and expertise to bear on this little recording we were making. Anderson’s singing on the final verse has weight in it, and concern, and love."
In October, Oldham teased the LP with the song Our Home, a collaboration with Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Tim O'Brien. A second track, London May, named after the former Samhain drummer and actor who Oldham has been friends with since the mid-'80s, followed in December.
Recorded in Nashville with producer David "Ferg" Ferguson, 'The Purple Bird' also boasts songwriting from Ronnie Bowman, Pat McLaughlin, Tommy Prine and Roger Cook, plus contributions from Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Russ Pahl on electric guitar, Pat McLaughlin on mandolin, Steve Mackey on bass and Fred Eltringham on percussion.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy will celebrate the record's release with a performance at Rough Trade in New York City on January 28, before a run of shows in California in February. Following that, he'll play European gigs in Belgium, the Netherlands and France in May. Tickets for those dates go on general sale at 11am CET on Thursday (January 9). Head here for details.
Bonnie Prince Billy Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Tue January 28 2025 - NEW YORK New York - Rough Trade (USA)
Fri February 07 2025 - SANTA CRUZ California - Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building (USA)
Sat February 08 2025 - SAN FRANCISCO California - Grace Cathedral (USA)
Sun February 09 2025 - GRASS VALLEY California - Center for the Arts (USA)
Mon February 10 2025 - SONOMA California - Sebastiani Theatre (USA)
Wed February 12 2025 - OJAI California - Topa Bowl (USA)
Thu February 13 2025 - LOS ANGELES California - Pico Union Project (USA)
Fri February 14 2025 - LOS ANGELES California - Pico Union Project (USA)
Tue April 15 2025 - LEXINGTON Kentucky - Recital Hall at Singletary Center for the Arts (USA)
Sat May 10 2025 - LEUVEN Het Depot (Belgium)
Sun May 11 2025 - ANTWERP Arenberg (Belgium)
Mon May 12 2025 - NIJMEGEN Doornroosje (Netherlands)
Tue May 13 2025 - AMSTERDAM Paradiso (Netherlands)
Thu May 15 2025 - KORTIJK Wilde Westen (Belgium)
Sat May 17 2025 - NANTES Stereolux (France)
Sun May 18 2025 - PARIS La Cigale (France)
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