Back in 2006, Horse Feathers were stirring up substantial noise, in a figurative sense. The Portland group issued their debut LP Words Are Dead at a moment that sat between the freak folk wave and the rise of more polished indie-folk icons like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, a position that could be read as a bridge linking those eras. The music is so intimate that Justin Ringle often sounds as if he is leaning in to whisper and sing directly to you from the same cozy seat, while the folk textures manage to feel both ancient and avant-garde all at once.
Words Are Dead has been out of print for years, but Kill Rock Stars is reissuing the album later this summer, and Horse Feathers are gearing up for a tour to support it. The current lineup features Ringle (guitar, vocals, banjo), Nathan Crockett (violin, saw), Halli Anderson of River Whyless (violin, vocals), Kati Claborn of Blind Pilot (banjo, vocals, clarinet), and Luke Ydstie of Blind Pilot (bass, cello, vocals). If the new track they released today is any indicator, these shows are going to be exceptional.
Beyond presenting the original Words Are Dead, the reissue will also include a faithful replica of Horse Feathers’ original six-song demo CD, which back then was only available at live performances. We get a preview of that disc today with the demo for “Finch On Saturday,” a recording that feels like a field capture in the finest possible way. Some words from Ringle:
“Finch on Saturday” perfectly embodied the spirit of the early days of Horse Feathers. An impossibly earnest and economically arranged acoustic number conceived during the middle of a Portland summer. Bush was president and bombastic indie rock ruled the day. Contextually I think we felt vaguely punk playing gentle music teasing political themes at the time. “Indie Folk” wasn’t a genre we had heard of yet.
Listen to the demo below, and you might as well give the full album a listen while you’re at it.
TOUR DATES:
08/06 – Portland, OR @ Topaz Farm
08/20 – Spokane, WA @ The District Bar
08/22 – Olympia, WA @ Wild Child
08/23 – Seattle, WA @ The Tractor
08/27 – Trout Lake, WA @ Trout Lake Hall
08/28 – Astoria, OR @ Liberty Theater
08/29 – Eugene, OR @ Eugene Art House
08/30 – Bend, OR @ Silver Moon Brewing
09/11 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Music Hall
09/12 – Durham, NC @ Stanczyk’s
09/15 – Roanoke, VA @ The Spot on Kirk
09/16 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
09/17 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin’ Java
09/18 – New York, NY @ Village Presents
09/20 – Boston, MA @ Club Passim
09/23 – Arlington Heights, IL @ Hey Nonny
09/24 – Lake Orion, MI @ 20 Front Street
09/25 – Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
The Words Are Dead reissue is slated for release on 8/28 through Kill Rock Stars. Pre-order it here.
