Julien Baker covered Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands” MyMusicRx.
Kevin Devine to Release ‘Instigator’
Kevin Devine will be releasing his new album, Instigator, this fall. No release date has been set, or pre-orders available, but you can sign up to be notified when they are on the label’s website. (The words “notify me” are actually a link.) Kevin has also announced new tour dates with Julien Baker, Pinegrove, and Petal. You’ll find those below.
NPR Posts Up Full Julien Baker Set at Newport Folk Festival
NPR has released a live recording of Julien Baker’s performance at the Newport Folk Festival.
At Newport Folk, the 20-year-old Memphian filled the quad inside Fort Adams with plaintive folk songs and electric guitar. Midway through her set, Baker brought out Matthew Gilliam, her bandmate in Forrister, to add touches of atmospheric percussion to “Vessels” and “Brittle Boned.” But for the most part, it was just her ragged-edged voice and ringing Telecaster — and that was enough to win over the audience, who gave her multiple standing ovations. Particularly well received was “Good News,” which, as Baker explained, is about “thinking you ruin everything … and then figuring out that you don’t.”
Manchester Orchestra and Julien Baker? Sign Me Up.
Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra and Julien Baker are in the studio working together.
Read More “Manchester Orchestra and Julien Baker? Sign Me Up.”
Julien Baker Announces Tour Dates
Julien Baker has announced some new tour dates. You’ll find those below.
Julien Baker Covers Death Cab for Cutie
Julien Baker covered Death Cab for Cutie’s “Photobooth” for The A.V. Club. I am now at the spot where the moment I read her name I am already clicking before I finish the sentence.
Julien Baker Covers “Accident Prone”
Julien Baker covered Jawbreaker’s “Accident Prone” live in Brussels, Belgium. It’s as good as you’re hoping it is.
Julien Baker Believes in God
Rachel Syme, writing for The New Yorker, with a really great piece on Julien Baker:
There is equal humility and precocity to these statements, a duality that kept popping up in my conversation with Baker. She called me “ma’am” with a soft drawl, and apologized often when talking about her creative process, worrying that she was being “conceited or indulgent.” Onstage, she offers aw-shucks-ish disclaimers before launching into particularly gloomy refrains, saying, “I’m sorry for bumming everyone out.” At shows, she sometimes wears a T-shirt that says “Sad Songs Make Me Feel Better.” And yet, despite any outward embarrassment, Baker’s lyrics are bold and unapologetic—about having big, bloody emotions, about the kind of epic feels that come in tsunamis and do not abate. Though Baker sings about God, she is not explicitly a Christian artist; instead, whether or not a supreme being exists is just one of many questions she has about the way the world works, and about the mechanisms available to us to process pain.
Julien Baker Performs “Good News” With Sharon Van Etten
A live video of Julien Baker performing “Good News” with Sharon Van Etten during the encore of her show last night in New York City has been posted to YouTube.
Read More “Julien Baker Performs “Good News” With Sharon Van Etten”
Julien Baker Covers Elliot Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing”
Julien Bakerʼs latest album is one that I keep imploring people to check out, today she’s released a cover of Elliott Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing.” This track comes from the upcoming tribute album, Say Yes!.
Read More “Julien Baker Covers Elliot Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing””
Interview: Julien Baker
I had the opportunity to speak with the extremely humble and extremely talented Julien Baker about her recent album, Sprained Ankle. We covered everything from the album’s recording to spirituality and, naturally, we nerded out over David Bazan. Baker is a young songwriter with a lot to say, and luckily for all of us, it seems her career is only just beginning.