Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker announces two new albums, songs and instrumentals, out Friday 23 October, and presents a new single, ‘anything’.
‘anything’ is a look into Lenker’s introspective and quietly magical catalogue. Backed by soft fingerpicking, Lenker’s magnetic voice references a flurry of memories and beautiful imagery – a hot sun, juicy mango, family fighting on Christmas eve, a circle of trees. It’s a deep and unflinching love song. As the track continues, its pulse held steady by Lenker playing her guitar with a paintbrush, her words get more abstract: “weren’t we the stars in heaven // weren’t we the salt in the sea // dragon in the new warm mountain // didn’t you believe in me?”
songs and instrumentals are two distinct collections, both written and recorded in April after Big Thief’s March tour was abruptly cut short due to coronavirus. After returning to the US from Europe, Lenker decamped to a one room cabin in the mountains of western Massachusetts. “I grew really connected to the space itself,” says Lenker. “The one room cabin felt like the inside of an acoustic guitar — it was such a joy to hear the notes reverberate in the space.” With a hankering to capture the feel of the space, Lenker enlisted the help of engineer Philip Weinrobe, gathering a mass of tape machines, a binaural head, and a pile of XLR cables.
