I don’t know how long artists usually wait before recording a Tiny Desk Concert and it being made public but you could sense the excitement mounting on Lankum’s social media feed. NPR’s renowned music authority Bob Boilen, creator of All Songs Considered and the Tiny Desk Concert are held in very high regard by many, and for good reason, not least the broad representation of independent music.
That said, Lankum’s journey to the studio on Washington D.C. was far from straightforward. They were originally scheduled to record their concert in February but visa issues delayed this by a week, then their van broke down…but during all this, they won Ireland’s Choice Music Prize Album of the Year which no doubt set them right back on top of that peak and raring to go!
Clearly Boilen is a fan, and I particularly loved his comment about Lankum’s album: “The Livelong Day to my ears has as much in common with Irish tradition as it does to electronic music, though everything they do is acoustic.”
In order, they performed three songs: The Wild Rover, The Young People and Bear Creek which brought to mind David’s closing comment in his album review:
Writhing with the terror of our times one moment, then rising with indescribable heart and hunger the next; this is traditional song stretched and submerged. David Weir, Folk Radio (read the review here)
More here: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/18/856974546/lankum-tiny-desk-concert