30 miles west of El Paso, surrounded by 3,000 acres of pecan orchards and only a stone’s throw from the Mexican border, the band Big Thief (a.k.a. Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik, and James Krivchenia) set up their instruments as close together as possible to capture their most important collection of songs yet. The band had only just finished work on their 3rd album, U.F.O.F. -“the celestial twin”- days before in a cabin studio in the woods of Washington State. Now it was time to birth U.F.O.F.’s sister album -“the earth twin”- Two Hands. 

In sharp contrast to the wet environment of the U.F.O.F. session, the southwestern Sonic Ranch studio was chosen for its vast desert location. The 105-degree weather boiled away any clinging memories of the green trees and wet air of the previous session. Two Hands had to be completely different— an album about the Earth and the bones beneath it. The songs were recorded live with almost no overdubs. All but two songs feature entirely live vocal takes, leaving Adrianne’s voice suspended above the mix in dry air, raw and vulnerable as ever. Where U.F.O.F. layered mysterious sounds and effects for levitation, Two Hands grounds itself on dried-out, cracked desert dirt. 

Anybody who has borne witness to Big Thief in the wild will find songs they recognize here. Much of the album’s tracks (“The Toy”, “Those Girls”, “Shoulders”, “Not”, “Cut My Hair”) have been live staples for years. “Two Hands has the songs that I’m the most proud of; I can imagine myself singing them when I’m old,” says Adrianne. “Musically and lyrically, you can’t break it down much further than this. It’s already bare-bones.” 

Lyrically this can be felt in the poetic blur of the internal and external. These are political songs without political language. They explore the collective wounds of our Earth. Abstractions of the personal hint at war, environmental destruction, and the traumas that fuel it. Lyrics like “And the blood of the man who killed my mother with his hands is in me/ it’s in me/ in my veins” are genuine attempts to point the listener towards the very real dangers that face our mother planet. When Adrianne sings “Please wake up,” she’s talking directly to the audience. “Attention is power,” she says. “I believe you can manifest something on the other side of the world just by using your power well.” 

Engineer Dom Monks and producer Andrew Sarlo, who were both behind U.F.O.F., capture the live energy as instinctually and honestly as possible. Sarlo teamed up with James Krivchenia to mix the album, where they sought to emphasize raw power and direct energy inherent in the takes. The journey of a song from the stage to the record is often a difficult one. Big Thief’s advantage is their bond and loving center as a chosen family. They spend almost 100% of their lives together working towards a sound that they all agree upon. A band with this level of togetherness is increasingly uncommon. If you ask drummer James Krivchenia, bassist Max Oleartchik or guitarist Buck Meek how they write their parts, they will describe—passionately—the experience of hearing Adrianne present a new song, listening intently for hints of parts that already exist in the ether and the undertones to draw out with their respective instruments. It is an honor to give life to these intricacies. 

With raw power and intimacy, Two Hands folds itself gracefully into Big Thief’s impressive discography. This body of work grows deeper and more inspiring with each new album. While you listen, let your own two hands rest in front of your body with palms facing inward and see what power grows between them.

"both delicate and imposing" - Scruff of The Neck Records

"making some of the dreamiest, most on point psych-fi ambient melodic lasagne layer goodness I have had the pleasure of bearing witness to live in a long long time" - diss. Magazine

Artist | Producer 
London
One Little Independent Records 

MGMT: Maarten@vowta.com
Label: One Little Independent

My name is Callum Mitchell, I host one the new music shows on 94.4 FM Salford City Radio.

Playing the best in new music, from local unsigned bands to the furthest corners of the globe -with a few old favourites chucked in along the way!

Listen live every Thursday evening at 9 PM at 94.4 FM if you're in the Salford area, or online at www.salfordcityradio.org, where you can also listen again, or download past shows as an mp3 file.

If you're an artist or in a band, please get in touch as I'm really keen to get some great music out on the air.

You can get in touch via Twitter @callumsmitchell

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If you heard a song you really liked then please get in touch, or make your own recommendations if there's a band you're really enjoying at the moment.

Happy listening!

Nothing's Free Out Now: https://angelolsen.jagjag.co/nothings-free

Contact: info@jamesholtmusic.com
"Fresh and exciting to listen to" - Brian Eno
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"Talented and versatile songwriter" - Tom Robinson, BBC 6music
"Very talented, very wonderful - absolutely love his voice" - BBC Introducing Manchester

Breathworks is a not-for-profit social enterprise and leading international mindfulness organisation co-founded by Vidyamala Burch.The Breathworks approach is grounded in compassionate awareness, with a gentle, gradual transformation of our relationship to all our life experiences, including our pain or difficulty. We invite everyone engaging with Breathworks practices and courses to take care of their own well-being as fundamental to our approach. If you suffer from physical, emotional or mental health conditions, please take care not to push yourself past your own safe boundaries when following guidance in Breathworks practices. Please remember that you are always the best person to know what is right for you:

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