Linda Perhacs released Parallelograms in 1970, if you’ve heard it I’m sure, like many others, you’d be wondering why it wasn’t an American psychedelic folk classic. It seemed to garner little recognition at the time of its release not helped by a poor pressing, she states on her website: “I could only bear to listen to it once. I then threw my copy of my own record away.” Promotion was negligible, sales non-existent. Obscurity beckoned.
Its often the way that some of these ‘lost classics’ get resurrected by future generations. Perhacs was one of the lucky ones who found a new fan base amongst the New Weird America music scene that was being led by Devendra Banhart. Parallelograms found a new audience who connected with Linda’s own deep and soulful music. Banhart was also pivotal in bringing new audiences to the likes of Karen Dalton and Vashti Bunyan and his sincerity in doing so was never in question. He also managed to persuaded Linda to sing again and she provided backing vocals on “Freely” from his 2007 album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon.
One thing led to another culminating in a public live performance in 2010 and although she admits she has never been one for seeking public attention the desire to perform again was seeded by her working with many of the the new young artists she was meeting. Her biography is really worth a read, not just to fill in the blanks but more to read about her personal view of the music world which is so refreshing.
Needless to say, Linda’s journey back to music has been a long one but her core drive hasn’t changed. Her new album The Soul Of All Natural Things is not built on any fad that people may attach to her past. She is very genuine when talking about the deeper message in her music which has remained unchanged over all these years: “If you follow a fad, it’s very temporary. If you centre yourself in something that is eons old, you line yourself up with the highest vibrations in the universe: more light within, more inspiration within, more love within.”
The Soul Of All Natural Things is released on Sufjan Stevens Asthmatic Kitty label who said she “has a prophetic voice that speaks beauty and truth with the kind of confidence and hope that has been lost for decades.” What more can you say?
Order The Soul of All Natural Things via Our Store (March 24, 2014)