2020 was a year of many things – COVID-19, existential elections, the shuttering of the music industry, and on and on – but one common, non-catastrophic throughline of the musical variety was cover songs. Many musicians and artists, finding themselves with more free time than usual and more standard-fare albums and cross-continental tours back-burnered, took the opportunity to explore live records, collaborations, and yes, covers. From Molly Tuttle to Wynonna, livestreams to socially-distanced shows, covers became an unofficial pandemic pastime.
Now, in 2021, many of these cover projects conceived and created in 2020 have made it to store shelves – digital and otherwise – and we’ve collected ten tributes worth a listen:
Shannon McNally covers Waylon Jennings
It’s fitting that Shannon McNally released The Waylon Sessions on Compass Records, whose headquarters now occupies “Hillbilly Central.” As Tompall Glaser’s former studio, the building helped give rise to country’s outlaw movement and it’s where Waylon himself recorded. With guests like Jessi Colter, Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell, and Lukas Nelson, the project recontextualizes Waylon Jennings’ material, which is usually associated with hyper-masculine wings of the country scene. As McNally puts it in a press release, “What Waylon Jennings brought to country music is what country music needs right now, and that unapologetic and vulnerable sense of self are what women are tapping into artistically right now as the industry evolves.”
Steve Earle covers Justin Townes Earle
Many a musical child has covered their parents’ catalogs in retrospect, but it’s rare that we see the reverse. A gorgeous, gutting, and laid-bare album, Steve Earle’s J.T. is a ten-song tribute to his son, Justin Townes Earle, who passed away suddenly in August 2020, shocking the Americana and folk communities. Earle’s signature emotion bristles and crackles throughout the project, giving Justin Townes’ songs an even stronger quality of visceral electricity. Proceeds from the album will go to a trust for Etta St. James Earle, Justin Townes’ daughter and Steve’s granddaughter.
The Infamous Stringdusters cover Bill Monroe
Spread out from North Carolina to Colorado and beyond, the Infamous Stringdusters utilized home recording from their respective studios during the pandemic to accomplish musical creativity their jam-packed schedule hadn’t really allowed in the “before times.” Their brand new EP, A Tribute to Bill Monroe, returns the virtuosic jamgrass outfit to territory familiar to those who first found the group when they were cutting their teeth, striding out from traditional bluegrass into the vast, expansive newgrass-and-jamgrass unknown. The project illustrates that the true strength of this ensemble is found in utilizing traditional bluegrass aesthetics for their own creative purposes. For example, you might listen through the entire record without realizing the Stringdusters made a Bill Monroe tribute album without mandolin!
Mandy Barnett covers Billie Holiday
Mandy Barnett is a cross-genre chameleon; between her talent, her voice’s timeless Americana tinge, and her appetite for classics — from Nashville staples to the American songbook — she often finds herself reaching far beyond Music Row and classic country to R&B, standards, and in her most recent release, Billie Holiday covers. Every Star Above was recorded in 2019, pre-pandemic, and includes ten songs from Holiday’s 1958 Lady in Satin album – songs previously also covered by Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, and many, many others. The project feels akin to Linda Ronstadt’s pop and big band forays, never fully detached from Barnett’s country roots, but built atop their solid foundation. In another Ronstadt-esque move, Barnett partnered with recently departed jazz arranger Sammy Nestico; Every Star Above was the award-winning composer’s final project.
Charley Crockett covers James Hand
Country-western crooner Charley Crockett is truly prolific, having released nine full-length albums in the past six years. As the story goes, before his friend, acclaimed Texan singer-songwriter James “Slim” Hand passed away unexpectedly about a year ago, Crockett promised he would record his songs. “Lesson in Depression” captures the sly, winking quality of the best sort of sad-ass country, which isn’t burdened by its own melodrama. While it’s certain Crockett (as Tanya Tucker would put it) would have rather brought Slim his flowers while he was living, there’s a poignancy in how 10 For Slim – Charley Crockett Sings James Hand, like Earle’s J.T., immediately demonstrates how these impactful musical legacies will live on.
Lowland Hum cover Peter Gabriel
Lowland Hum’s album covering Peter Gabriel’s So — which they’ve cutely and aptly entitled So Low — began as a passing joke, but the folk duo of husband-and-wife Daniel and Lauren Goans followed the passion and fun that led them to Gabriel’s hit 1986 release, quickly unspooling the passing whim into inspiration for a full-blown project. “We already loved the iconic record, but in translating Gabriel’s melodies and otherworldly arrangements,” they explain on their website, “we fell even deeper in love with the songs, Gabriel’s voice, and his uncanny ability to fully inhabit both vulnerability and playfulness…” Their “quiet music,” minimalist approach is well suited to the material and the entire project is incredibly listenable, comforting, and subtly envelope-pushing.
Chrissie Hynde covers Bob Dylan
After The Bard released “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes” early in 2020 (and in the pandemic) founder, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Pretenders Chrissie Hynde was inspired to once again revisit Dylan’s catalog – a limitless fount of material with which she was already intimately familiar. Her new album, Standing in the Doorway, features nine Dylan tracks recorded with fellow Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne – almost exclusively via text message – and for their coronavirus YouTube video series. Hynde opts for deeper cuts, showcasing her affinity for swaths of Dylan’s career often overlooked by other would-be cover-ers. This classic, “Tomorrow is a Long Time,” feels appropriately sentimental and longing, a perfect encapsulation of the day-to-day of the realities of the pandemic, filtered through a Bob Dylan lens and Hynde’s distinctive voice.
Various Artists cover John Lilly
John Lilly is a songwriter’s songwriter. Based in West Virginia, his original music has been covered by modern legends like Tim O’Brien, Kathy Mattea, and Tom Paxton. April In Your Eyes: A Tribute to the Songs of John Lilly gathers various artists from the folk, old-time, and bluegrass communities – in West Virginia and otherwise – spotlighting the incredible depth and breadth of Lilly’s catalog. The title track is stunningly rendered by Maya de Vitry and Ethan Jodziewicz, who were connected with Lilly originally through West Virginia’s iconic old-time pickers’ gathering affectionately referred to as “Clifftop.” Paxton, O’Brien, and Mattea all make appearances on the project, as do Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay, Bill Kirchen, and many other members of Lilly’s musical family and inner circle, giving the project an intentional and intimate resonance.
American Aquarium cover ’90s Country Hits
BJ Barham’s American Aquarium dropped a surprise album, Slappers, Bangers, & Certified Twangers: Volume One in May. Featuring ten covers of some of the band’s favorite ‘90s country hits, it’s a dose of all-star-tribute-concert packaged in a pandemic-friendly stay-at-home-form – and available on John Deere Green vinyl, of course. One particularly sad casualty of the coronavirus pandemic has been these sorts of musical nostalgia bombs – when was the last time any of us attended a theme night or tribute show at say, the Basement East in Nashville or Raleigh, NC’s The Brewery? – and Slappers, Bangers, & Certified Twangers has us in the mood to attend the first ‘90s country covers live show possible now that things are finally reopening.
Various Artists cover John Prine
A year without Prine seems far, far too long to travel with such a Prine-shaped hole in our musical hearts. But his presence and legacy certainly still loom large; the Prine family has announced “You Got Gold: Celebrating the Life & Songs of John Prine,” a series of special concerts and events held across various venues in Nashville in October. Oh Boy Records is also planning to release a new tribute record, Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, to coincide with You Got Gold. The first two tracks from the project that have already been unveiled feature Sturgill Simpson performing “Paradise” and Brandi Carlile’s rendition of “I Remember Everything,” which you can hear above. Each month until October, the Prine family and Oh Boy will release another song from the project, unveiling special guests who each pay tribute to Prine, his songs, and the enormous vacuum his loss has left in the roots music industry.
We’ve put together a group of songs that feel related to dusk: the transition moments between day and night. Included in our thinking about dusk are the days in between each season.. winter to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall and fall to winter days. We all need help in our times of transition, as we are being stretched, strained, or pressed between what was and what is to come. The songs that assist us in these travels seem to have an unplaceable quality, both disorienting and comforting like a sweet, warm drink with salt scattered on its surface.
The unique combination of anticipation and farewell allows these songs to occupy paradoxical thematic and sonic space. We need songs like these so we can bring more of ourselves into the present. So, we humbly offer this grouping of songs to accompany you in transitions of all kinds, whether they be literal dusks, the days between seasons, or simply moments where this particular tone may be soothing, cathartic, comforting or augmenting. To paraphrase something we read on The Milk Carton Kids’ Mixtape… “we include our songs aspirationally and for self-promotion here.” — Lowland Hum
Aldous Harding – “Zoo Eyes”
We love Aldous Harding’s ability to shapeshift, morph, and play in her music while remaining vulnerable and human. It reminds us that those are all options we can choose as well when creating. Her most recent album, Designer, is delicious.
Bob Dylan – “He Was a Friend of Mine”
This song has always stood out to us as a deeply compassionate and humanizing song that packs so much into its few and deceptively simple words. It reminds me of the wordlessness that comes with deep grief. At the anniversary of George Floyd’s death I think of the great losses our nation has experienced this year and the way all words felt clumsy and insufficiently small in the face of such dumbfounding, dark and evil things.
Big Thief – “Open Desert”
We’re having a hard time finding what’s not to like about anything and everything coming from Adrianne Lenker (and her band) these days.
The Beatles – “Julia”
This melody is so wistful, dreamlike, sad, and lovely. “When I cannot sing my heart I can only speak my mind, Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me so I sing a song of love, Julia.”
Radiohead – “You and Whose Army?”
The beginning of this song makes us feel like we are suspended in shimmering stardust thick enough to hold a person’s weight. The arrangement blooms so patiently until you suddenly tumble down a flight of stairs. That a recording can do that is one of the main reasons we organize our life around music.
Antonio Carlos Jobim – “Look to the Sky”
I mean, are you not slow dancing by yourself on a terra cotta tile patio, barefoot, with a cocktail in hand when you hear this?
Labi Siffre – “Cannock Chase”
The combination of this picked guitar and gently shuffling percussion sounds like being in the car at dusk with the windows down, scenery flying by.
The Zombies – “Beechwood Park”
We’ve listened to this album so much in the past few years, but somehow only really noticed this song and its magnificence in the past week. Now we are obsessed.
Nick Drake – “Free Ride”
To us Nick Drake always sounds like sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees. Although this one carries a bit more urgency and pep than some of his other songs, this one is no exception.
Myriam Gendron – “Solace”
This song comes from an album of Dorothy Parker poems put to music by Myriam Gendron. The whole album is like a friend sitting silently beside you when you’re feeling a lot. You probably need it in your life.
Keur Mossa – “Quand le fils de l’homme viendra”
This song comes from an album that has been an immense comfort to us in times of transition. When far from home, while working on building our studio in early morning light, while in labor with our first child… It’s a beautiful treasure of humanity reaching toward divinity.
Tiny Ruins – “One Million Flowers (solo)”
This album is all solo guitar and voice versions of Tiny Ruins’ full-band album Olympic Girls. Hearing these songs stripped to their skeletons showcases how strong her songwriting and voice are. Though we were fans of the full-band album first, we prefer these versions hands down. We aspire to make songs that can stand on their own naked or dressed up.
Lowland Hum –”We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)”
This is our cover of Peter Gabriel’s “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” from his album, So. We covered that album in its entirety, calling our version So Low. Our version came out on the 35th anniversary of the original’s release.
Lou Reed – “Perfect Day”
This song is a cocktail of equal parts bummed-out and triumphant. How he does it we don’t know, but we love it.
Frank Sinatra – “Mood Indigo”
The strings and reeds in this song are like sitting on a fire escape in the warm balmy breeze of a summer evening. Sinatra’s delivery is so subtle and masterful. You can’t go wrong with any song on In the Wee Small Hours.
The Weather Station – “Trust”
We have long been fans of Tamara Lindeman. Her songwriting is like a window into the unspoken dialogue of real relationships.
Arthur Russell – “Close My Eyes”
This song is so visual to me (Lauren). It reads in the mind like a bedtime story complete with dark oil pastel illustrations. I dare you to close your eyes and not see it all.
Gold Connections –”Confession”
Will Marsh of Gold Connections is a dear friend of ours but we promise we aren’t biased. They just released this single and we can’t get enough of it. This song has it all: city and desert; neon signage and the kind of starry sky that can only be seen when you are far from civilization.
Bruce Springsteen – “Nebraska”
Tragic, startling, beautiful. Daniel always says he believes in this album because it gave him compassion for a mass murderer. That’s some power right there.
Paul Simon – “Night Game”
What a stunning and mournful number. Who knew a song about baseball could feel so mystical? Hold out for the otherworldly harmonica solo by Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor. This one has comforted us on many a late-night drive.
Adrianne Lenker – “forwards beckon rebound”
This whole album is a treasure. This song has such a great momentum while remaining quiet.
Martin Denny – “Trade Winds”
This exotica album is a staple in our household during our newborn son’s bathtimes. But we find it perfectly appropriate for listeners of all ages and stages. It is perfectly campy and yet transportive.
Lowland Hum – “Waite”
We felt that we needed to include at least one original Lowland Hum song, so here’s our duskiest. This song was written while on tour in Europe in 2017. We were playing a house concert in a landscape painter’s home studio and gallery (Andy Waite is the name of the painter and now friend) and the guitar part mysteriously came to Daniel while we were setting up in the space. Something about being in a home so steeped in one person’s creative life and flow was magical. There was a very real substance in the air that mysteriously found its way into Daniel’s fingertips as he was messing around on guitar.
Artist:Lowland Hum Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia Song: “This Will Be Our Year” (The Zombies cover) Album:Singing Other People’s Love Songs Release Date: June 5, 2020
In Their Words: “‘This Will Be Our Year’ by the Zombies grabbed us immediately with its simplicity and unfettered sweetness, not to mention its intuitive melodies and positive energy. We chose to record our version as simply as possible, with closely mic’d, bare vocals and simple nylon string guitar. At the time when we recorded it, we were feeling all kinds of optimism and excitement about what the year might hold for us, having just put the finishing touches on our recording studio, and feeling more adjusted than ever to life out in the countryside.
“Obviously there have been some unexpected turns since then. When we scheduled the release of this song, we had no idea the entire world would be in the midst of a pandemic, and all of the fear, financial strain and pain of isolation that has ensued. We had no idea our nation would be reeling from yet another wave of murders, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and now David McAtee and others as police continue to employ the use of military weapons on protestors. To release a song entitled ‘This Will Be Our Year’ at such a time as this feels perilously incongruous at best with where the nation is at, where we are at personally, and offensive at worst.
“Before the past few weeks we thought to ourselves, ‘Well, this is not the year we imagined when we recorded this song, but maybe there are things in store for us and others who are suffering, which we couldn’t have chosen or anticipated had all gone according to our ideal plans.’ At this point we hope that this is a year when things really begin to change. Perhaps this will be the year when people like ourselves, who have long been sympathetic to the cause of justice for black and brown people in America but haven’t taken the time to learn how to properly engage and act toward a better future, might finally buckle down and discern how to step up as allies. Perhaps this year will mark a turning point for many, that will start our nation down a road resulting in lasting and true change. We hope. — Lauren and Daniel Goans, Lowland Hum
“Music has always been a source of hope in the most difficult seasons of life. It possesses that strange quality to make mosaics out of even the most broken places and emotions. As we face this pandemic as a world community, I pray this music fills your heart and gives you quiet hope from home.” — Marie Miller
The Collection – “Becoming My Own Home”
I remember the first time I heard this whole album, and I honestly gasped in joy! This song is about finding home within yourself. I think it speaks to this time as many of us are reconnecting with ourselves in our homes.
Brandi Carlile – “The Mother”
We have all lost something in this pandemic, but we haven’t lost who we are. Brandi Carlile I will love you forever.
Marie Miller – “Little Dreams”
I’m going to be super awkward and put myself on here for two reasons. 1. This song is about believing in your dream when EVERYTHING is falling apart. 2. I just want to be near Brandi in any way I can.
Lowland Hum – “I Will”
I can’t count how many nights I have looked at the sky and listened to this with wonder at the dark sky and bright stars. It just makes me feel like we are going to be OK.
Kelly Hunt – “Across the Great Divide”
Speaking of soothing music, Kelly Hunt makes truly lovely and peaceful music. Also I have yet to meet her, but I imagine she would be the kindest person in the world.
Punch Brothers – “Soon or Never”
I don’t think I will ever get tired of this song. It’s almost hauntingly beautiful. It breaks my heart, but puts it back together before the end of the song.
Joy Williams – “Front Porch”
Going with theme, I feel like I am at the front porch of forgiving myself and loving myself and that’s still home even if its not quite inside. “The light is on. Whatcha waiting for?”
Josh Ritter – “Change of Time”
As we all let go of what we thought this year would be, I am allowing Josh Ritter to serenade me and remind me all will be well.
Fleet Foxes – “White Winter Hymnal”
The first time I heard this song I was in love with this boy, and I felt like he might like me. I don’t know that boy anymore, but I feel that hope every time I hear it.
Robby Hecht and Caroline Spence – “I’ll Keep You”
I think Robby Hecht could fill any heart with hope. This song is about keeping things that matter, and I think it’s a great song for today.
The Wailin’ Jennys – “Glory Bound”
This song is about heaven, and the Wailin’ Jennys sing like angels. It would be hard to find something more hopeful and beautiful.
Michelle Mandico – “1,000 Feet”
The world needs to braver and kinder than its ever before to make beauty out of this sorrow. I believe we are far kinder and braver than we know. This song reminds us of just that.
We are both anxious creatures, whether it comes to an existential crisis about our career choice or what to say next in a conversation. We created a playlist for the Bluegrass Situation based on songs that help calm our anxious minds. — Haley Grant and Kaylee Jasperson, The Harmaleighs
The Harmaleighs – “Anthem for the Weak”
An anthem for those who suffer from anxiety.
The Harmaleighs – “Don’t Panic”
One of our favorites off the new record — we want you to close your eyes and lose all concepts of time and space when you listen.
Lucius – “Go Home”
The first song we ever heard from our favorite band.
The Lumineers – “Gloria”
This is a banger. It does what a lot of Haley’s favorite songs do. It pairs heavy lyrical content with an upbeat danceable vibe. Also, have you seen the music video? It’s visually STUNNING.
Faye Webster – “Room Temperature”
Haley highly recommends you watch the music video. One of her favorites!
Molly Burch – “Without You”
She is Haley’s new favorite discovery! Her tunes give us a major throwback feels.
Theo Katzman – “Break Up Together”
King 👏🏻 of 👏🏻 break 👏🏻 up 👏🏻 songs 👏🏻
Bahamas – “Okay, Alright, I’m Alive”
Bahamas are the most underrated band walking planet Earth.
Ethan Gruska – “Rather Be”
His voice transfers Haley to another dimension.
Emily King – “Remind Me”
One of our favorite artists!! Love how you can feel the intention behind every single word.
Brandi Carlile – “Oh Dear”
Brandi has been such an influence for both of us from a young age. This is one of our favorite songs by her.
Dixie Chicks – “Not Ready to Make Nice”
When morale is low on tour and we are finishing up the last stretch home, you better believe we CRANK this tune.
Patty Griffin – “Forgiveness”
This song has been a constant in our road playlist since we started the band. The songwriting and performance of it is so emotionally raw. This is a grounding track for us. It’s a reminder that the most important thing to portray in a record is the feeling and Patty Griffin nails it.
Lowland Hum – “Will You Be”
The sound of their voices together immediately calms Haley down.
Caroline Rose – “Getting to Me “
Haley swears she has listened to this song 300 times. There is something about the beat in the beginning that makes her feel at ease.
Andrew Bird – “So Much Wine, Merry Christmas”
This song brings Haley back to a very peaceful time in her life. When she listens to it, she can close her eyes and pretend like she’s 21 again.
Paul Simon – “Diamonds on the Souls of her Shoes”
Paul Simon is an artist we both have strong roots with. His voice and instrumentation of all of his songs can make your heart sing.
Artist:Lowland Hum Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia Latest album:Glyphonic (out May 10, 2019)
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
Last year we were opening a run of shows for The Oh Hellos and something surprising took place at the Columbus, Ohio, performance. It’s a regular part of our show to invite the audience to interact if they so choose and that particular audience was extremely participatory. Throughout our show they were super engaged and communicative and towards the end, someone yelled out, “Have you ever crowd surfed?!” I (Daniel) used to be in a rock band for a number of years so I said, “Well, yes, but not in this band,” to which he replied, “Do you want to?” We laughed and then we played our second to last song.
As the final note of that song lingered in the air, the crowd started chanting “CROWD SURF, CROWD SURF, CROWD SURF” with increasing volume. I turned to Lauren and handed her my guitar. I walked toward the crowd as they continued chanting and then stepped to the edge of the stage, turned backward and fell into their arms. The crowd went wild and began passing me around the room. Because our band is a duo and half the band was in the crowd during this, there was no music accompanying this rock and roll moment.
After a while, I cried, “To the stage” and the crowd passed me pack up toward the front of the room. Then a burly security guard grabbed me with one hand and threw me gently back on stage where I landed on my feet. Lauren informed me that I looked at her with delight on my face and said, “I feel so serene.” I think we are probably the quietest band that has ever had an experience like that. It was a glorious evening for us both. Thank you, Columbus.
What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?
When approaching the studio, we generally designate an amount of time where we will stay in a place/mode of operating that we refer to as “yes town.” In “yes town” all ideas are explored and we don’t allow editing or assessing. This openness to any and all ideas gives even partially formed notions the space they need to come to fruition. At a certain point, we then shift into editorial mode and we are able to more clearly identify which elements of a song or arrangement belong in the final version of the recording.
Before shows we often make a cup of black tea and try to find a place to sit outside or by a window to have a bit of slow presence. We read in an essay recently that human beings are not meant to move through space at any speed other than walking and when we do, it takes time for our full selves to arrive at the place where we are physically present. This idea resonates with us and I think the tea ritual is our way of trying to allow our minds to catch up with our bodies and realize where we are on any given night of a tour.
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
We can’t answer which artist has influenced us most, but we’ve been consistently inspired by Devon Sproule the last few years. Her ability to approach songwriting with a profound gravity while maintaining a sense of wonder and rigorous exploration is both refreshing and challenging. We are taken with the imagery she shares in her songs, the playful arrangements on her recordings and her unaffected, evocative vocal performances. Devon reminds us to pay close attention and to stretch out and try reaching into unknown spaces sonically and thematically.
What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?
Our creative process has always been inspired by literature, film and visual art ever since the early days of Lowland Hum, leading to multiple songs exploring the work and life of Toulouse Lautrec and a mildly jealous lyric about Andrew Wyeth catching Lauren’s eye, but more recently, Lauren created a music video featuring the work of an incredibly gifted dancer named Edward Villella. The video is a visual companion for our song, “Slow,” using imagery from “Reflections In Space,” and “Mystery of Space.” “Reflections In Space” is a film by Bernard Beane, Philip Courter and Harold M. Weiner, that features the interpretive dance of Edward Villella and the work of other visual artists inspired by outer space. Whenever we encounter the creative explorations of other people, we notice that new spaces in our minds open up.
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
When I (Daniel) was 12 years old, my granddad took me to a local CD store in Greensboro, North Carolina, where I grew up and told me I could select any album and he’d buy it for me. For some reason, I picked out the Beatles’ White Album as my selection, probably because it included two CDs and I thought I was being clever. I became obsessed with it. As an extremely sensitive kid who felt emotions strongly. Somehow the songs made me feel empathized with and soothed, and I had never had that experience with music before. This obsession led me to begin writing songs in the weeks and months following that trip to the CD store. My mom is a fan of those early, angsty, preteen musings, but she’s the only one.
Welcome to “A Minute In …” — a BGS feature that turns our favorite artists into hometown reporters. In our latest column, Charlottesville, Virginia’s Lowland Hum takes us on a tour of their favorite places for donuts, bagels, and scenic strolls. The husband-and-wife duo of Daniel and Lauren Goans just released their newest album, Thin.
We moved to Charlottesville a little over two years ago after experiencing small slices of its unique creative community when passing through on tour. However, we spent the bulk of our first year based in C-ville away from home, on the road. While we have travelled a little less this year, I feel the first year of our time here has influenced the way we approach engagement with what our town has to offer. You’ll hear from everyone about the unique gourmet dining experiences and the beauty of the surrounding farmlands and wine country, and while all of that is true and worth mentioning, in our little snippets of time at home between tours, we have latched on to a handful of inexpensive or free low-key treasures that we continue to prioritize when we have time at home.
Spudnuts: We lived in the Belmont neighborhood when we first moved to town. On morning walks, we could smell the sugar-glazed glory wafting out from two blocks away. Don’t let its sleepy looking exterior fool you: This place is the real deal. When we have to leave really early in the morning for a tour, a stop at Spudnuts on the way out of town is a mighty consolation. Every visit to Spudnuts is a trip back in time to the ’50s. They’re closed Sundays and Mondays, but all other days, the owners are there, bright and early, standing behind the counter in old-fashioned white aprons, ready to serve up hot, fresh donuts and fritters of several varieties that change with the season. Spudnuts will not try to be a trendy donut shop for you. No salvaged barn wood interior, no cutesy chalkboard signs, or ridiculous toppings. What you can count on is classic confectionary goodness, in unfussy flavors: original glaze, blueberry cake, cruller, chocolate glaze, apple fritter, and a few seasonal extras like original glaze with coconut or maple glazed. As soon as they sell out, they close up shop, so remember to bring cash and get there early to get yourself a lovely white waxed bag of treats to scarf or share, depending on your mood.
Riverview Park: Tucked back in the Woolen Mills neighborhood is Riverview Park. It has become our go-to for a quick refresh. It consists of a playground, some picnic tables, and a couple of winding paths, one of which runs alongside the Rivanna River. Our favorite features of Riverview Park are the places along the path where, with a little care, you can make your way down the embankment to small, sandy banks for a dip in the river. We were recording our album in town this Summer and a short trip to Riverview to wade up the sandy-bottommed river did wonders for our minds when we got too inside our heads during recording sessions. We have been really thankful to have such easy access to water and natural areas, and being only a four-minute drive from downtown, Riverview Park is one of our favorite nearby places to reset.
Bodo’s Bagels: Bodo’s is an original Charlottesville favorite, with three locations in town. Our favorite is the one on Preston Avenue, where the staff is genuine and kind in a way that can’t be forced or taught. There is always a line at Bodo’s and for good reason: The New York-style water bagels are made fresh all day (I have never had one that wasn’t hot off the press), and can be made into nearly any kind of sandwich with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, cream cheese varieties made in-house, solid coffee, and great vegetarian and vegan options. Their salads and soups are just as popular as their bagels and just as fresh. Service is fast and everything is so reasonably priced that we are often astounded when we hear the total of our order. The music is always on point — a mixture of obscure hits of the ’60s, timeless jazz, and top notch Stax and Motown. Bodo’s became a regular breakfast, lunch, and coffee break stop for us this Summer when we were recording our album in a friend’s attic just down the road.
Beer Run: Beer Run is a local beer and wine shop with a full bar and restaurant attached. It is our favorite spot for a low-key celebration and a no-brainer when we don’t have energy to prepare dinner after a long day in the studio. With a rotating list of award-winning beers on draft (and every other beer imaginable for purchase in the shop), it’s the place to go for a good brew. The restaurant serves a wide range of plates, all made with organic and locally sourced ingredients, but our favorite, by far, is the “Beer Run Nachos.” One mountain-sized order of black bean nachos is enough to fill us both to maximum capacity. Whether we are marking a milestone or passing a sunny Saturday afternoon on the patio with beers and friends, Beer Run is our favorite spot.
The Garage: The Garage is both exactly what it sounds like and so much more. It is a prime example of the magic of Charlottesville’s creative community. The Garage is a one-car garage facing the edge of a downtown park that functions as a gallery, music venue, and community hub. This is not your garden variety, cobbled-together, volunteer-run community center. It is a small-scale, well-oiled music venue and carefully curated gallery space. At least one excellent local artist’s work is artfully displayed on the exposed brick walls under clean track lighting, with a full-scale art opening the first Friday of every month, complete with price lists, hors d’ouvres, and wine. The concert series features great acts from all over the world, multiple nights a week in the warmer months. Bands perform within the mouth of the garage, facing the park, and people gather across the street on the grassy knoll with blankets, picnics, dogs, and children. A jar is passed and all donations go to the bands. After the concert, people are encouraged to chat with the performers and come inside to view the art show of the month. It is a true community gem, offering professionally led writing and craft workshops, readings, and even a bring-your-own picnic and music lunch hour in the Summer for folks working in the downtown area. Check their schedule online to see if your visit to Charlottesville coincides with any of their many magical events. There is nothing quite like wandering up to the soft glow of the garage on a balmy evening to camp out on the hill with friends and soon-to-be friends, take in the sunset, and enjoy a night of good music. Though every event is well-planned, experiencing one first-hand feels like the definition of serendipity.
Photos by Lowland Hum, Eric Kelley, and Lisa Boggs
In Their Words: "The video for 'Older, Wiser' is our second collaboration with the super-talented, North Carolina-based photographer and filmmaker Griffin Hart Davis. His passion and vision were the driving forces in the creation of this video. He approached us with the storyline, we loved it, and we are excited to share its realization. It's an honor when someone responds creatively to your work, and we are thrilled to share the result. Fun fact: The house featured in the video is Lauren's actual childhood home." — Daniel Levi Goans
Photo credit: Griffin Hart Davis
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