Many of you may already be familiar with the story of Christopher McCandless told in Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction bestseller ‘Into the WIld’ which was later made into a film directed by Sean Penn with Emile Hirsch starring as McCandless. After graduating with high grades in May 1990 McCandless stopped talking to his family, gave away he’s $24,000 college fund to Oxfam and headed off across country, eventually reaching the Alaskan wilderness in ’92 where he survived for more than 100 days before succumbing to starvation.
I’ve read the book and watched the film several times and I’m not surprised that it has inspired so many people including french singer and guitarist Amelie McCandless who was so taken by this real life story that she adopted his surname as part of her stage name. That urge to escape the trappings of modern life and its associated strife is not an uncommon one, but the act of doing it is less common.
Amelie’s music is very dreamy belonging to the spirit world occupied by the likes of Marie Sioux. I asked her if there a message in her music and she told me “I’m trying to convince people to come back to simplicity and natural values.” It was in 2008 after hearing Alela Diane that something connected. As her photo will tell you she is also influenced by American Indian culture which can be heard in the chanting on Woodland Spirit which features on ‘Wild Memories’, her second EP. Inspired by the story of Christopher McCandless her new EP conveys that urge to escape or to at least question the way we live.
I’m with Amelie, I’m all for a simpler less complicated life.
Order it on bandcamp
https://www.facebook.com/ameliemccandless