That’s right folks, Steve Gunn has gone and spoilt us with a further two songs which didn’t make it onto his acclaimed latest album The Unseen In Between. In his review of that album, David Weir concluded “The Unseen In Between is befitting of its title; a mysterious and mesmeric edgeland offering glimpses into the underbelly of a half-remembered neighbourhood, and the trials and habits of its outcasts…many will find solace in the oblique tales and tragedies…Overall if you find you don’t stray, you might just become rapt by something that really does have the power to take your breath away altogether.”
These two tracks which form a rare double Song of the Day on Folk Radio today slipped through the net as they didn’t quite fit with the album’s distinct ebb and flow, but we have to agree that yes, taken on their own, they are as spellbinding an illustration of Gunn’s arresting songcraft as any. ‘Still Moon’ is a swaying acoustic waltz that showcases Gunn’s melodic fretwork, while ‘Shrunken Heads’ sets a rhythmic call-and-response refrain against kaleidoscopic country guitars. Go grab them now – https://stevegunn.ffm.to/bestillmoon
Recently playing with Kim Gordon at the opening of her exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Gunn will return to the UK this summer for a run of headline shows, including full band performances at Brighton, Nottingham, Glasgow and Bristol, as well as a special intimate solo show at London’s Omeara on September 17th. He will also be playing at End Of The Road festival in August alongside further European dates, before going on to support Dinosaur Jr. in North America in October. A full live schedule can be found below.
Over the past few years, Steve Gunn has become one of American folk-rock’s most pivotal and regarded figures – conjuring immersive and psychedelic sonic landscapes live and on record, releasing a stream of lauded albums that have appeared in a multitude of ‘best of’ lists, and recording exploratory collaborations with artists including Mike Cooper, Hiss Golden Messenger, Kurt Vile, and Michael Chapman. Written in the wake of his father’s passing, The Unseen In Between is Steve’s most accomplished and moving work to date, with sweeping and immersive songs showcasing his deft yet minimal guitar style to the backdrop of rich instrumentation, the lyrics meditative and mysterious yet intimate and poignant.
Steve Gunn Tour Dates:
4/7 – Sonic Lyon – Lyon, France
6/7 – Pointu Festival – Corniche des Îles, France
11-14/7 – Winnipeg Folk Fest – Winnipeg, MB
24/7 – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME %
25/7 – 3S Artspace – Portsmouth, NH%
26/7 – Newport Congregational – Newport, RI – SOLD OUT
27/7 – Artsriot – Burlington, VT %
28/7 – Bar Le Ritz – Montreal, QC %
30/7 – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, ON %
31/7 – Club Café – Pittsburgh, PA
1/8 – WTMD First Thursday – Baltimore, MD (Free Show)
2/8 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/8 –Industry City – Brooklyn, NY ^^
4/8 – Merleyn – Nijmegen, Netherlands
25/8 – Cabaret Vert Festival – Charleville-Mezieres, France
26/8 – Patterns – Brighton, UK *
27/8 – Bodega – Nottingham, UK *
28/8 – Stereo – Glasgow, UK *
29/8 – Exchange – Bristol, UK *
30/8 – End of the Road – Dorset, UK *
31/8 – OLT – Antwerpen, Belgium $
1/9 – Sidecar – Barcelona, Spain *
2/9 – Kafe Antzokia – Bilbao, Spain *
3/9 – Sala 0 – Madrid, Spain *
4/9 – ZDB – Lisbon, Portugal *
6/9 – Zonnehuis – Amsterdam, Netherlands *
7/9 – Misty Fields – Asten-Heusden, Netherlands
8/9 – Brotfabrik – Frankfurt, Germany *
9/9 – Bumann & Sohn – Köln, Germany *
10/9 – Lido – Berlin, Germany *
11/9 – Trafo – Jena, Germany *
12/9 – Druckluft – Oberhausen, Germany *
13/9 – Helling – Utrecht, Netherlands *
14/9 – Leffingeleuren – Leffinge, Belgium
16/9 – Lost Lane – Dublin, EIR – solo show
17/9 – Omeara – London, UK – solo show
19/9 – Kuudes Linja – Helsinki, Finland – solo show
23/9 – Salon – Istanbul, Turkey – solo show
23/10 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox, US +
24/10 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore, US +
25/10 – Bellingham, WA – Wild Buffalo, US +
26/10 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom, US +
28/10 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s, US +
29/10 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s, US +
30/10 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s, US +
% w/ Bill MacKay
+ w/ Nace-Truscinski Duo
^ w/ Hand Habits
$ w/ John Prine
* w/ Valley Maker
+ solo set opening for Dinosaur Jr.
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Photo Credit: Annabel Mehran