Tag: washington dc

Basic Folk: Liv Greene

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Oh, how I’ve longed to talk to Liv Greene. Every once in a while you come across a young artist that seems older and wiser than her 26 years. Liv’s been giving me that impression since I met her in 2019, when she was at Club Passim waiting tables and breaking hearts on the stage at just 21 years. Ok, enough about being young.

Liv’s been writing, studying music, and going to music camps since she was 12. Arguably she’s been studying music all her life with her Americana loving parents, who were filling the house with the sounds of Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, and Shawn Colvin, to name a few women in heavy rotation at the Greene house. Being the only of her friends that liked that kind of music, Liv attended many D.C.-area concerts with her mom, taking in the magic of live music at a very tender age. Speaking of tenderness, that’s what Liv Greene is all about and she digs into it in our conversation.

Liv started writing and playing shortly after she was inspired by a Taylor Swift concert. From there, she took off on the instrument and even sought out music education in camps like Miles of Music in New Hampshire. It was at that camp, as well as the arts academy Interlochen High School, where she started meeting peers with similar interests. She found herself living for summers with her music camp friends. Prior to her senior year at Interlochen, Liv was a closeted queer at her all-girls Catholic school mostly writing fictionalized stories into her songs because she could not deal with who she was.

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Liv attended and graduated from The New England Conservatory of Music and released her debut album (produced by Isa Burke) right in time for the pandemic in May of 2020. Shortly after that, she moved to Nashville and has spent the last several years on an intense path of self-discovery. Liv found her community, came out, wrote, and self-produced her new album, Deep Feeler (out October 18). On the album, you can hear the growth she’s experienced and you can hear her thriving in her corner of the Nashville music scene, including indie folk. We talk about all of this, including what it means to have a neurodivergent brain, music production, the roller skating community, and Liv’s favorite Taurus personality traits.

Photo Credit: Joseph Ross Smith

WATCH: Sukhmani, Ajeet, and Aisling Urwin, “Ash + Bone”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sukhmani, Ajeet, and Aisling Urwin
Hometowns: Washington, D.C.(Sukhmani); Dublin, Ireland (Ajeet, Aisling Urwin)
Song: “Ash + Bone”
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Label: Spirit Voyage Records

In Their Words: “Working on ‘Ash + Bone’ was such a deep, immersive experience, and it remains one of the most special songs I’ve had the pleasure to work on. When Ajeet approached me to sing and play percussion on the song, it felt right to build the groove organically, in a way that would allow me to perform the lyrics and percussion simultaneously in a live environment. The calabash seemed like the perfect choice, and when paired with the harp, guitar and bass, a fun, rich, unique soundscape was formed!

“The song is inspired by the types of friendships that empower and embolden you to live your truth, and I feel as though the music reflects this so perfectly. The three-part harmony in the verses feels like a beautiful nod to the mutual support of these relationships, and the way our voices weave together in the canon of the chorus makes the lyrics feel like an affirmation, echoing on. I feel so honoured to have been a part of this project, and am in total awe of Ajeet’s production, and the magic brought by everyone else involved in its creation.” — Sukhmani

(Read more from the band below the video.)

“This was an incredibly special song for us to record, as it was born from friendship in a time of isolation and reflection for us all. We made a video performance for social media, spliced together with the three of us separated by oceans and many miles. I think we mostly made it to keep our own spirits up, and to have some fun playing music with our friends…something we’ll never take for granted again!! We were delighted to find that the song caught on, and other people had as much fun listening to it as we had making it. It’s celebratory, free, raw and organic. We left the live feeling in the recording, and I just love the feeling it gets across. I’d love to see all musical projects I’m part of carry such a feeling of fun and exploration like this one did.” — Ajeet

“‘Ash + Bone’ was a really fun one for me from an instrumental perspective. I wanted to experiment with the harp and try to create some new sounds and textures. I took inspiration from the sounds of the kora and had a lot of fun layering polyphonic riffs. And then to combine this with Sukhmani’s beats was a real treat. This biggest treat of all is to make music and sing with these amazing women. There’s nothing like collaboration to broaden the realms of your own creativity.” — Aisling Urwin

Photo Credit: Spirit Voyage

LISTEN: Crys Matthews, “Call Them In”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Crys Matthews
Hometown: Richlands, North Carolina (currently Washington, D.C.)
Song: “Call Them In”
Album: Changemakers
Release Date: March 26, 2021

In Their Words: “As a social-justice songwriter, my approach to songs has always been to lead with love and hope, even when it is hard to do, especially when it is hard to do. That message is at the heart of ‘Call Them In.’ It is so easy for those of us committed to justice to do the work of calling out injustice, but it is much harder to take that next step and try to invite people in. But that is the charge, that is the task before us. Not a lot of people did that better than John Lewis.

“As a fellow Black southerner, I grew up hearing about the freedom songs people would sing (like ‘Eyes on the Prize’) as they marched for justice, and I wanted this song to feel like something they would be proud of and maybe march to, which is why I wanted to build a choir into the song. Fellow social-justice songwriters Kyshona Armstrong and Heather Mae, who are singing on the track, definitely helped me achieve that. I hope that this song passes on a little of the love and hope that he and Dr. King passed on to me and so many others. May we never stop believing in good trouble, or in the vision of America that Congressman Lewis bled for on that bridge all those years ago.

“In the summer of 2020, while the entire world was learning how to live through a global pandemic, America was in the middle of a reckoning nearly 400 years in the making. George Floyd’s brutal killing at the hands of police in Minnesota sparked the kind of national outrage that had been sparked decades ago when John Lewis and so many others were brutalized on Bloody Sunday. And while George Floyd was not the first and, in some ways, not even the most horrific of these all too frequent instances of police brutality, he woke so many people up to the reality at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“In an interview he gave on The TODAY Show, Congressman Lewis said that he thought Dr. King would be very proud of how many Americans were standing up for justice, and speaking out for better. Lewis said, ‘He’s looking down and he’s saying to each and every one of us, keep it up, and never give up, never give in, but to keep the faith and to keep your eyes on the prize.’ At 80 years old, and after having suffered so much cruelty and brutality, this great man was still doing the work of calling out injustice while simultaneously calling in more allies, more willing change agents, more of what Dr. King called ‘drum majors for justice.’ So when he died on July 17, 2020, I knew that I wanted to honor him. It is my sincere hope that ‘Call Them In’ does just that.” — Crys Matthews

Photo credit: Rah Foard

LISTEN: Eric Brace & Last Train Home, “Dear Lorraine”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Eric Brace & Last Train Home
Hometown: Washington D.C./ Nashville
Song: “Dear Lorraine”
Album: Daytime Highs & Overnight Lows
Release Date: January 31, 2020
Label: Red Beet Records

In Their Words: “This was a fragment from the early days of the band, one that needed another verse. I’d been nominally inspired by the song ‘Sweet Lorraine’ so I recently went back to it and gently lifted a slew of lyrics. Please don’t tell Mitchell Parish. (Longtime LTH listeners will recognize my brother Alan’s harmonica playing and harmonies right away, and Jen Gunderman’s elegant, defining piano.)” — Eric Brace

Photo credit: Bill Thompson

BGS 5+5: Eli Lev

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Eli Lev
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Latest album: Deep South
Personal nicknames: “Ambassador of Good Vibes”

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

While I grew up playing basic guitar and writing silly songs, I never really wanted to “be a musician.” That changed when I was about halfway through my master’s degree for education. I took a personal vacation during winter break and camped out on a beach on the west coast of Mexico near Sayulita. I hiked in supplies and brought my travel guitar and just sang to the ocean for a week.

After that I got real quiet, and I listened. After a while I heard murmurings on the breeze that the trees and the sand, the water and sky really enjoyed my new songs and performance, and recommended I take my songs seriously and go for it. So I took that to heart and set the intention to make music my life for a while and see what would happen.

It took about a year for the gears of time and space to turn the right way before I played my first show in Washington, D.C., in the back of Tryst Cafe in Adams Morgan. A few people showed up who also enjoyed the performance and they asked me when my next show was. The rest is living history.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

This last summer I got the chance to play a full band set at the storied 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., as part of the DC Music Rocks Festival. I grew up going to see my favorite bands there, so it extra special being on the stage. Playing my original songs with a six-piece band to an amazing crowd of friends, family, and fans was a moment I’ll always remember.

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

Be your best, give your best — the world will smile back and give its best to you in return.

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

I listen a lot to rivers and oceans for songs, but they also come on the wind and in total silence. But there are songs everywhere, in train brakes, in people’s eyes, falling out of pockets and suitcases. It’s just a matter of how to listen and where to look.

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

Love this question. In my songs, sometimes I’m the “I” and sometimes I’m the “you.” Sometimes the people in my songs are actually things or ideas, like in my songs “Anywhere We Can Go” and “Walking Away.” I’ve found that when I do it that way, the listener has an easier time making the song meaningful for their own life. I love that different folks get different things out of my songs — that’s the way it should be!

Traveler: Your Guide to Washington D.C.

Posted on by Editor

If you’re not swearing off our nation’s capital until 2020, we’re here to help you avoid the tourist traps in Washington, D.C. Full of free museums, bustling nightlife, ethnic eats, and a diverse population, Washington D.C. offers reaffirmation of the fabric of our nation in a time of division.

Getting There

The airport situation might be the hardest part about getting to Washington, D.C. since the District itself is a no-fly zone for all commercial airlines. With all of the airports on the outskirts, you’ll want to choose carefully the closest one to your accommodations. Ronald Reagan/DCA has Metro access and is the closest to the city center, Dulles is a 40-minute ride to town, and Baltimore/Washington International is close to an hour away from D.C. proper, but is accessible via city bus. Getting around with no car is doable with a Metro pass, ride sharing, or your own two feet.

Accommodations

From bed and breakfasts in Georgetown to Airbnbs in DuPont Circle to swanky hotels overlooking the White House lawn, there is no shortage of spots to crash in D.C. The Kalorama Guest House is a cozy euro-style B&B right off the metro and two blocks from the National Zoo. Airbnb has plenty of options, averaging $190 per night. And, if you’re feeling fancy (and planning way in advance), check out a room in the Hay-Adams, overlooking the White House.

Eats & Drinks

Photo: View from the W bar, Photo credit: Saahil Agrawal

D.C.’s multicultural make-up makes for comprehensive dinner plate fare. They’ve got a killer high-brow food scene, but the hidden ethnic gems are what make D.C. so tasty. If you want to eat Greek with the local Greeks, head to Mykonos for Imam Baildi and the most authentic tzatziki in town. Neapolitan pizza made by Italians in Arlington at Pupatella was voted best pizza in the state of Virginia and is right down the road. Other must-trys include Japanese donburi from Donburi in Adams Morgan and Latin eats from El Pollo Sabrosa.

The D.C. crowd is a work hard, play hard kinda crew, so there are also plenty of places to wet your whistle. The rent is too high, so dive bars are aplenty, as are the complete opposite — exclusive clubs. Bar Pilar is on 14th Street and is Hemingway-themed. ChurchKey is a beer lover’s delight, collaborating with breweries like Sun King Brewery and 3 Stars Brewing Company on exclusive brews. Head to the top of the W for drinks with a view of the Treasury and the White House, plus you can play Where’s Waldo? to find the security personnel on top of the White House.

Sight Seeing

D.C. has the obvious political sights that are popular for a reason. There’s nothing like walking the monuments that circle the Tidal Basin on the West End of the National Mall at night, taking a selfie in front of the White House, or perusing the National Archives, but there are some off-the-beaten path spots that are worth the deviation from throngs of tourists.

Music

Photo: Black Cat, photo by: Josephine Wood

D.C.’s got plenty of live music venues. Catch indie bands at Black Cat, bluegrass and Americana at Gypsy Sally’s, and a wide variety of other touring bands at the 9:30 Club, where they make their famous 9:30 cupcakes for artists and for sale to the public.

As for record stores, two Sundays of every year, collectors wrap around E Street to get first dibs on DC Record Fair’s vinyl fare at Penn Social. Grab some Emmylou from Red Onion Records or get nitro cold brew and peruse new and used records at Songbyrd Music House.

Books

Photo: Politics & Prose

Go book shopping and get a hearty breakfast at Politics & Prose. Be sure to check out their events lineup because they host notable people like Trevor Noah, Bernie Sanders, and Bob Boilen often, plus they have killer deals on used books.

Museums

Photo: National Gallery, Photo credit: Josephine Wood

The National Portrait Gallery is one of the more obscure Smithsonians, but is well worth the visit, particularly their “In the Groove” series of Herman Leonard’s jazz photography.

In the age of media skepticism, the Newseum offers a timely look back at the history of media in the U.S., including a 50th anniversary exhibit on the history of the Civil Rights movement, photography of immigrants and a history of rock ‘n’ roll and politics’ intersection. It’s not a Smithsonian Museum, so it costs $25, but is worth the cash.

The National Gallery boasts the most comprehensive art collection, which allows a wide range of visitors — art lovers or not — the chance to connect with different styles. Plan to spend a large chunk of time exploring, or target one genre or time period to meander through.

The National Museum of African-American History and Culture is the newest Smithsonian and tickets are tougher to come by, though still free. It’s worth the wait. The museum is a walk through the history of African-Americans in the United States, including Civil Rights history, slavery, music, art, and much more. You’ll learn more than you did in any history class, but plan at least half-a-day to spend wandering the museum, because there is a lot to take in at this five-story, emotionally taxing museum. Get ticket details here.

This one’s not exactly a hidden gem, but taking a stroll at the Georgetown Waterfront, along the Potomac River, is a great place to enjoy a sunny day. There are biking and walking paths, as well as plenty of stores and restaurants to pop in along the way. Plus, Georgetown is pretty much the most charming spot in D.C.

Lede photo credit: freestock.ca ♡ dare to share beauty via Foter.com / CC BY