As you may have already read on Folk Radio UK, Bill Callahan is releasing his new album Gold Record on 4th September via Drag City. As the songs on the album have a ‘stand-alone feel’, it was decided that Bill should release a single every Monday from the album… the latest is ‘Ry Cooder’.
Ever since I saw the tracklisting I was intrigued by this one. The titanic voice is there as always and as Drag City say below, it “leaves one to wonder what sort of fandom is being indulged here”.
Stop-start licks melt into vaudevillian relief as Bill unpacks and reassembles Ry’s history with deadly dry affect, guaranteeing to break up your late-night guitar jam, no matter how deep!
A knee-slapping roundhouse of a tribute to America’s own polymath guitar legend-in-his-own-time, “Ry Cooder” leaves one to wonder what sort of fandom is being indulged here. One thing to be certain of, however, is Callahan‘s ability as a songwriter and wordsmith knows no bounds–others’ artistic legacies be damned!
To celebrate the album’s release they decided to get Bill to answer questions from fans over on Reddit’s indieheads.
Question: I imagine you spend different amounts of time writing different songs, but how do you know when you’ve spent enough.
Callahan: when it’s done it just feels right. like a perfectly folded bottom sheet. or a perfectly messed up bed.
You can read the questions and answers all here on Reddit.
Pre-Order Gold Record here: https://ffm.to/goldrecord
Photo by Hanly Banks Callahan