Bret has written many magazine articles, books and has been a featured speaker at many mufon and other ufo and ghost groups. In the recently released book length interview, will oldham on bonnie prince billy, oldham takes a break from talking about touring to discuss. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy by alan licht bwr. Will oldham, the fogged clarity interview 3 fogged clarity.
A home to bands that actually smells like home and dont forget, this is the 21st century, you shit where you live. Will stated in a 1995 interview with kcrw that the name palace flophouse was inspired by reading john steinbecks cannery row. Since 1993, he has released over twenty albums as palace brothers, palace music, palace songs, and the pseudonym under which he has recorded for the past fifteen years, bonnie prince billy. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy book release talk 26.
Bonnie prince billy interview my music functions like a vaccine. Dec 21, 2012 thus the lengthy interview, exhaustive and detailoriented in the hands of musician and occasional oldham collaborator alan licht, is less about setting the record straight than about providing the proper forum for a fuller picture of the artist and the man to emerge. Between this and the book a bona fide career retrospective that makes a resonant. Oct 30, 20 will oldhams past reticence in interviews makes the release of alan lichts booklength interview will oldham on bonnie prince billy a welcome disclosure. Nov 08, 2018 also on the cover, for the first time on an oldham fulllength since 1997s joya, is the name will oldham. It was a really satisfying read since i had so many questions. With the release of songs of love and horror singersongwriter will oldham aka bonnie prince billy cataloged the lyrics that have defined his long and storied career into a book. May 16, 2017 oldham recorded constantly, as he does now, using various monikers. Alan licht is a musician and author of the book sound art. The 2012 booklength interview by alan licht will oldham on bonnie. Will oldham songs of love and horror songwriter oldham, guitar and voice operating in quiet tension and ultimate accord, revisits songs that made him that he made and others in new versions that quiver like fresh.
In a new book, the singersongwriter and actor will oldham gives an interview to end all interviews. Now, at long last, theyre releasing the followupand repping old. The artist formerly known as bonnie prince billy and palace. Gnade also owns and operates hello america stereo cassette, a record label releasing audio recordings of authors stories, poems, and. Yeah, the name has so many different references that it could almost have a life of its own. Reluctant to discuss his music in great detail or assume a consistent persona, oldham, though not combative, often provides tangled, nonspecific remarks. This book, a 400page interview with oldham conducted by new york musician and journalist alan licht, goes a long way toward remedying this longheld fallacy and reveals oldham as a cosmopolitan and intelligent artist. The 2012 book length interview by alan licht will oldham on bonnie. Mar 23, 2021 back in 2005, matt sweeney and will oldham quietly put out an album called superwolf and watched it become a cult classic. I cobbled together a couple videos i took with my iphone. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy by will oldham goodreads. Dec 29, 2010 singer, songwriter, and actor will oldham sat down with kelly in his dressing room backstage at the show, which is recorded at nbcs midtown headquarters at 30 rockefeller plazathe 30 rock of 30 rockto discuss the making of love letter and why the long, bumpy road that led kelly to make the album has him revisiting the past and. Oldham, a louisville native, has been recording either under the palace name or under the bonnie prince billy moniker since 1993.
Giving interviews in which hes often funny and articulate but goes. A booklength interview between oldham and his sometimes collaborator, guitarist alan licht, this book covers every aspect of his career, including his acting work. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy by alan licht paste. Joseph will oldham born january 15, 1970, is an american singersongwriter and actor. The record label over there thought it would be interesting if there was some sort of release to go with that.
Featuring a full discography, it offers the most indepth look we may ever get of this fascinating cult figure. Over the years, oldham, despite unanimous critical acceptance, also developed a reputation with journalists as a difficult interview. Reading this dialogue it is clear that oldham has long been ready to converse about his work, as long as it doesnt manufacture a tiny back room from which it has to be done. The power and the poverty, in one good right jab whats left. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy features a series of interviews that. Hes a nomadic artist who has seemingly, almost unconsciously, drifted into an indiemusic idealists dream career, forever hanging in the comfortable middle ground between fame and obscurity. Oct 27, 2017 bret oldham is a well known alien abductee and paranormal investigator. Jun 18, 2012 oldham says in his interview book wo on bpb that he found a copy for 25 cents, and liked it enough to get together with turner to record them as halfsung halfspoken pieces, a miniopus if you like. Will oldham would rather be drinking with a brewer october. The book is really an epic 400 page interview that tells the story of how will oldham got involved in music and acting and pretty much details every song and album that he has ever released. Interview with oldham library about the best nest for. Dec 22, 2012 in fact, will oldham on bonnie prince billy is an interview the longest and most incisive ever done with the pressshy songwriter and actor. Will oldham talks songs of love and horror oldham chats about his methodology, objective truth in songwriting, and politics in music.
Palace brothers, will oldham, and bonnie prince billy. Will oldham talks songs of love and horror, his career. Oct 23, 2012 the new book will oldham on bonnie prince billy represents a rare approach to writing about music and the musicians who produce it. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy alan licht, will oldham. Jun 03, 2016 in a careerspanning interview, salon spoke with oldham about his parallel journeys in film and music. To my mind they keep it within the tradition of indian music, as in free flowing, improvised, unstructured compositions or at least unstructured.
Sep 21, 2012 will oldham on bonnie prince billy marc masters speaks to the books editor, musician and writer alan licht, about oldhams unique art and the books process. That book and the corresponding retrospective album on which he recreates his older material acoustically and sparsely winds through his entire discography. Chapters include discussions on touring, recording, his early beginnings and so on. In the book, oldham parses his identity from bonnie prince billy, the character hes been performing in different versions for over a decade now. Will oldham is a musician and actor living in louisville, kentucky. If the recent slew of will oldham related goods books, palace music vinyl reissues, and regular bonnie prince billy albums wasnt enough. Sean ohagan meets will oldham from the observer the guardian. In english its called the wanderer, and its just a very compelling book. In the new issue of interview, will oldham asks r kelly about his new album love letter and relevant questions like whether or not he watches 30 rock. Oldham has declared this book his last interviewan essential guide to his life and career. A book length interview between oldham and his sometimes collaborator, guitarist alan licht, this book covers every aspect of his career, including his acting work. As the reticent, creakyvoiced frontman for the mysterious palace brothers later palace music. This book is a long form interview that delves into every aspect of will oldham s career through acting and music. Much of the mystique surrounding oldham seems to be due to a classic case of mistaking the singer for the song.
That book and the corresponding retrospective album on which he recreates. Over the past ten years, hes recorded several albums under various guises most notably variations on palace and bonnie prince billy and only one under his. Mar 03, 2014 in the recently released book length interview, will oldham on bonnie prince billy, oldham takes a break from talking about touring to discuss a concept hes been considering. The book is a large volume, and the album is fairly brief. This book is a long form interview that delves into every aspect of will oldhams career through acting and. Oh, because there was a book length interview coming out overseas, primarily, called will oldham on bonnie prince billy. In 1999, things turned a corner when he released i see a darkness. Jan 05, 2009 the front hall was full of cds, books, and boxes of tshirts, and oldham was holding a small stack of lightblue envelopes, the same shade as the cover of his most recent album. Best known for the seminal folk, blues, and country music hes created since the early nineties under various names the palace brothers, palace music, bonnie prince billy oldham has lately been garnering praise for an artistic endeavor for which he is less associated acting. After giving a memorable performance as a boy preacher in john sayles 1987 coalmining drama matewan, will oldham made a brief attempt at being a working actor, before becoming disillusioned with hollywood and retreating into seclusion for several years. Louisville songwriter will oldham is releasing an album and a book under his own name. If you love the music you will not be disappointed with this book as the questions and answers are genuinely well thought out and feel organic compared. Currents, an interview series with brian alan ellis episode. Earlier this month, my good friend sent me will oldham on bonnie prince billy, a book length interview between oldham and musician alan licht.
Will oldham on bonnie prince billy will oldham and alan. Will oldhams past reticence in interviews makes the release of alan lichts booklength interview will oldham on bonnie prince billy a welcome disclosure. Sean ohagan meets will oldham from the observer the. Bonnie prince billy interview my music functions like. My life in 15 songs with the release of a new book of lyrics and companion lp, the artist best known as bonnie prince billy looks back on a quarter century of uncanny. Although the book is strictly interview format, readers will gain a sense of oldham s personal narrative. Beginning in 1998, oldham has primarily used the moniker bonnie prince billy, which draws inspiration from several sources. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy by will oldham nook. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy marc masters speaks to the books editor, musician and writer alan licht, about oldhams unique art and the books process. Performing as himself, palace brothers, or bonnie prince billy, will oldham has released more than twenty studio albums, along with eps, singles, and music for film and television. A live interview with oldham library on world book day. Nov 16, 2002 i am trying to interview will oldham for several reasons, not least that i consider him to be the finest songwriter to come out of america in the past 10 years. Oct 09, 2014 in will oldham on bonnie prince billy, your book with alan licht, you talk about using religious language in a completely open manner.
Although the book is strictly interview format, readers will gain a sense of oldhams personal narrative. After briefly publishing music under his own name, in 1998 he adopted bonnie prince billy as the name for most. See more ideas about will oldham, bonnie prince billy, oldham. Currents, an interview series with brian alan ellis.
Marc masters speaks to the books editor, musician and writer alan. If youre a fan of will oldham, in his many incarnations, this is the book youve been waiting for an indepth look at oldhams life, creative process, and philosophy. Oldham has declared this book his last interview an essential guide to his life and career. In a 2001 interview with pitchfork, oldham said that i see a darkness is less about dying and more about an evil person trying to do good in the world and failing time. Giving interviews in which hes often funny and articulate but.
Hopefully ned will come out to some of the shows at least open the shows. Will oldham on bonnie prince billy will oldham and. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of palace palace, palace flophouse, palace brothers, palace songs, and palace music. This book is a long form interview that delves into every aspect of will old ham s career through acting and music. Absolutely great book for bonnie prince billy fans. A few nights a month when oldham is at home in louisville, he would host a day of onehour long sets. On the 2004 album bonnie prince billy sings greatest palace music. Bonnie prince billy interview my music functions like a. Featuring a full discography, it offers the most indepth look we may. This interview was originally shown on the librarys facebook page.
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