Strange times indeed. We’re all dealing with the difficulty of navigating these uncharted waters, but we’re comforted by the fact that we’re all in this together. Knowing that music can be a potent salve in times of crisis, we wanted to put together a new Spotify playlist to help out in a small way. The ageless, cinematic, and refreshingly minimal arrangements of Kacy & Clayton have given us a much needed respite from the news cycles these past few weeks. We hope it does the same for you. Stay safe out there friends.
Featured Artist: Kacy & Clayton
Q1: First of all, we hope you two are faring well through this uncertainty. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. How are you holding up?
Thanks for having us Chase. I’m currently at home in Saskatoon with Lauren, my wife-to-be and Ruby, our dog. Kacy and I have been touring steadily for the past 6-7 months so it’s nice to have more time at home and a chance to work on new ideas.
Q2: We’ve had your music, and specifically your cover of the song, “How To Fight Loneliness”, playing on our stereo this past week as we talk with many of our friends who have been ordered to stay home by their cities and states. The song feels very relevant. What inspired you to cover this Wilco track?
Wilco had asked us to take part in the Wilcovered compilation they were putting together for Uncut Magazine. We considered a few different songs but in the end, Kacy thought “How To Fight Loneliness” was best for her to sing. I love how the recording turned out.
Q3: You do an incredible job incorporating traditional musical canons and references, but contributing something fresh and unique to the mix. How do you go about taking inspiration from artists while pushing that sound forward?
Thank you! I spend a lot of time absorbing everything I can from certain records that move me. I would say the Watersons, Carl T Sprague (one of the first Cowboy singers on record) and the Balfa Brothers, are some heavy hitters of inspiration in the world of folk music. I think one of the great things about being able to make music is that you can take all of the nuances of styles that resonate with you and create your own ideal musical world.
Q4: Reading into your background, it sounds like the remote landscapes and cultural ties to small towns have contributed to your musical aesthetic. Now that you’ve traveled extensively and toured through major cities, has your source of inspiration shifted?
I would say that absence has strengthened my romantic notion of the place where we grew up. I suppose that’s the case with most people’s reflections of their childhood homes.
Q5: What do you make of the success of streaming performances like Luck Reunion, in the past few weeks? Can we catch you guys performing live from the comfort of our homes in the coming weeks?
It’s interesting to see what other musicians have in their home offices! We have a live stream or two in the works but I’m not exactly sure when it will happen. Kacy and I live in different towns and we are taking the “stay at home” advisories rather seriously.
About the New Moon Playlist
On the New Moon, the earth, moon, and sun align making us unaware of the moon’s presence in the sky. Without the visual presence and glow of the moon, other celestial bodies typically hidden now shine brighter. Our chances of seeing the sky clearly are heightened on this day, making it a day of clarity and new beginnings. Creatively it’s the perfect time to set intentions for a new cycle of dreams and goals, and ways of manifesting them.
To honor this monthly opportunity for fresh starts and creative beginnings, we’ve asked our friend and musician we admire, Chase McBride, to curate a seasonal New Moon Spotify playlist.
Follow The Joshua Tree House on Spotify and be the first to hear new playlists. Last season’s New Moon Spotify Playlist featured artist Magic Magic Roses.
