Tag: swimming

Lydia Luce’s Feet in the Grass, Head in the Clouds Playlist

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This is a Mixtape of songs I enjoy listening to in nature. I hope you listen to it while hiking or laying in the grass. Hiking and walking are my ways of meditating and connecting with myself. Especially now that we have our baby coming next month. Really trying to center myself in preparation for this beautiful life change.

I never go on a hiking or camping trip and regret it. It always helps to put things into perspective for me. My worries and stresses feel insignificant when I’m staring out at a mountain range after climbing to a peak. The title track of my new album, Mammoth, is about hiking and all of the artwork and music videos were taken while either hiking in the Swiss Alps or the Colorado Rockies. My love for nature seeps out of this new project. I hope it finds its listeners craving the outdoors. – Lydia Luce

“Head in the Clouds” – Mocky

This song is one I keep coming back to. I have spent many moments in nature with my husband camping or in our Skoolie listening to this song. It’s one of our faves.

“Free Treasure” – Adrianne Lenker

Adrianne has a beautiful way of reminding us there is treasure all around us in nature and with loved ones – and we don’t have to pay for it. There have been so many times that I have found what I’ve been looking for just by sitting outside.

“The Wind” – Feist

This song is a perfect poem about the wind. Leslie sings about the power of nature, connecting us to ourselves and to each other. She sings, “You find you, keep on the horizon.”

“Quiet as a Star” – Jon Middleton

This song reminds me of camping by the ocean. The waves, the glow of a fire, and the stars above. It’s such a simple, stunning song.

“Hello Sunshine” – Damien Jurado, Richard Swift

In Nashville we have a big lake called Percy Priest with tons of tiny islands. I love kayaking out to the islands to camp. I’ve done a lot of solo camping trips out there and this song reminds me of those times. Paddling out to watch the sunset glow.

“Pretty Stars” – Bill Frisell

This song is so beautiful. The guitar melody reminds me of night swimming. Growing up in south Florida my brother and I used to go snorkel at night to see the bioluminescence. It feels like swimming in the stars; when you pop up out of the water you see the stars glowing up above. Some real magic.

“The Moonlight Song” – Blaze Foley

There is nothing like camping in the autumn. When the season changes and making a fire to stay warm is a necessity. This song reminds me of camping in the fall with buddies. It sounds like he’s singing to us around the fire, pulling us into the moment.

“The Ocean” – Richard Hawley

I have this distinct memory of driving out of the tunnel in Santa Monica where it turns into the PCH listening to this song. I have lived half of my life close to the ocean and I miss it so much. I moved to Nashville eight years ago from Los Angeles and this song brings me right back to staring out at the Pacific Ocean.

“Pink Moon” – Nick Drake

Who doesn’t love this song? It’s just a perfect song. I love Nick Drake’s open tunings and melodies. This song reminds me of hiking and though I have heard it a million times I never get tired of it.

“Brassy Sun” – S. Carey

This is another song that takes me back to solo camping on the lake. Microdosing mushrooms and watching the sunset. Appreciating the solitude in nature.

Photo Credit: Ryan Usher

Basic Folk: Sam Moss

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Although the ever-enigmatic Sam Moss is not a great swimmer, he named his latest album Swimming. The folk singer with a gentle demeanor is back with thoughtful songs and captivating melodies. Hailing from New England, Sam has carved out a unique niche in the folk world, blending naturalistic themes with an introspective approach to songwriting. We explore how his New England roots continue to influence his music – despite his current residence being Virginia – and how his upbringing in a family of visual artists has shaped his artistic sensibilities.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

Sam also talks about how movement and the natural world inspire his songwriting, if not with more oblique lyrics. We dig into his latest album Swimming, where he boldly embraces more direct lyrical expressions; we discuss the balance between mood and narrative in his work, too. Our Basic Folk conversation touches on his journey from a shy young musician to a confident performer, as well, thanks in part to the encouragement of close friends like Jackson Emmer. He counts Emmer, who he played with in old-time duo The Howling Kettles, as one of his greatest inspirations for following his own creative arrow in music.

Elsewhere in the episode, we explore Sam’s passion for woodworking, a skill he honed as a respite from musical burnout. He describes the satisfaction of crafting tangible objects and how this practice complements his musical endeavors. We also really dive into his feelings around the word “gentle,” which is often used to describe his music and persona. He doesn’t actually mind being known as a gentle person– in fact, he hopes people do find his music soft and tender and, in that gentleness, that they still leave feeling his songs’ striking impact.

Photo Credit: Lead image by Jake Xerxes Fussell; alternate image by Alaina Shefelton.

BGS 5+5: Aaron Raitiere

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Aaron Raitiere
Hometown: Danville, Kentucky
Latest Album: Single Wide Dreamer
Personal Nicknames: Rat

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I was in high school and went to see a band called Leftover Salmon at the All Good Music Festival in Virginia. It was the first time I had ever seen grown people gettin’ wild in the mountains. A true mess of music, community, and insanity. Leftover took the stage and Vince Herman was dancing around with a big foam cheeseburger on his head. The band went into the traditional bluegrass song “Hot Corn, Cold Corn” and Vince grabbed a burlap sack full of corn and started throwing it at the crowd just yelling out “CORN!” — that was the moment I knew I wanted to be a musician. I couldn’t believe that guy was getting paid. What a job.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

The deals that take the longest to make are the deals that last the longest. And never write anything down on paper that you don’t want someone else to know.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

My mom just retired from 40 years as a Case Manager in the ER in Central Kentucky. When I was tryin’ to figure out what I wanted to do she always said she didn’t care what I did as long as I helped people. I try to help people with my songs. I think my mission statement would be “Help People.”

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I’m a water baby. A lifetime swimmer. I prefer a river over a pond, lake, or an ocean. But most any water will do. I’ve got a spot I like to spend time at just north of Nashville. It’s quiet. Silence is golden, right?

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

The best songs are found in the truth. When I’m writing, the You is always Me or some version of a Me. It’s someone I can relate to. Someone with similar opinions and feelings. Someone I can write down what they are saying. It’s hard to hide behind anything anymore. People aren’t stupid, and there are cameras everywhere.

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

BGS 5+5: Donovan Woods

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Donovan Woods
Hometown: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Latest Album: Without People (Deluxe)

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I read a lot of fiction and journalism and I’m always writing down little passages in hopes of merging their feeling into lyrics in some way. I’d like to think that painting informs me, because I love it so much. I’m entranced by it, but I can’t think of any songs of mine which are directly influenced by paintings. Maybe I’ll try. I’ll try!

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

We played in London, UK a few years ago, we’d never had a real ticketed show there and we surprisingly sold it out. Brits are just better at being in crowds. Everyone sang, yelled and made us feel really great. So lovely to have that many people really present and enjoying the songs that far from home.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I think when I started to write songs that people liked. I would send them to friends and they would say, “I would actually listen to this!” and I was very encouraged. I was already in my 20s. It took me a long time to figure it out. It’s never particularly easy to me. I think this notion of “god being in the room” or whatever is really compelling but he doesn’t seem to come into the room for me. It’s just me and my brain trying to figure it out. The closest I come to “god in the room” is I get to write with Lori McKenna sometimes.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

Swimming. I think swimming in bodies of water is the actual meaning of life. I walk a lot while listening to mixes. I feel like that’s the only way I can tell if it’s actually good. My wife likes to go camping. I don’t much like it.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I do what I want. It’s bratty, but that’s really it.

Photo credit: Briony Douglas