Listen: Adrianne Lenker Shares New Single “Once a Bunch”
Photo Credit: Adrianne Lenker
Adrianne Lenker returns to the headlines today with the release of “Once a Bunch,” a softly shuffling, dew-speckled new single from the renowned Big Thief figurehead. Lenker’s latest is an outtake from her massively acclaimed sixth solo venture Bright Future, which ushered the artist into a new era of tender, country-inflected ballads in March. The fresh single was originally released as an extra side on the Japan-exclusive CD release of Lenker’s project, and will see wider distribution on a 7” pressing this autumn.
“Once a Bunch” is an earthy revel, from which Lenker unwinds the finer points of a love with unpretentious and powerfully evocative detail. With spirited strings, acoustic stums and backing vocals from collaborators Nick Hakim, Mat Davidson and Josefin Runsteen, the new addition is right at home with the first-light and fireside folk of Lenker’s broader project. The single is drawn from the same sessions that sprouted such new essentials as “Sadness As a Gift,” “Free Treasure” and “Donut Seam,” which all exude the intimacy and care that conditioned their production.
“We were in a Northeast forest and it was the peak of fall, so the leaves were changing and were different colors. There were lots of rivers around—that classic, crisp fall,” Lenker says of her idyllic recording setting in a recent feature for Relix. “There was actually a lot of sunshine, and it was really cozy. The space itself wasn’t an airtight studio where it’s soundproofed and fancy—it was more just a house studio. You could feel the wind blowing through. You could hear things outside. We brought a lot of our own gear as well and we did it all analog and directly to tape. There was a fireplace… It’s taken me a while to realize I don’t love being in ‘studio’ studios, where they’re super dead and sealed off. I like hearing the birds and being able to hear the rain if it’s raining.”
Recently, in the midst of her album release tour, Lenker returned to the storied Newport Folk Festival to perform a solo acoustic set; in her third consecutive year of gracing the festival stage, Lenker captivated the crowd with an outpouring of yet unreleased material, some of which was supported by Big Thief member Buck Meek in an extended sit-in. The artist will return to the road in November to round out her Bright Future tour with a completely sold-out 12-date series in the Northeast and Canada. For more information on Lenker and her upcoming appearances, visit adriannelenker.com.
Listen to “Once a Bunch” below.
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