An Audience with Ryley Walker.
Ryley Walker is driving on the Massachusetts turnpike headed towards New Haven, Connecticut, where he has a gig to play in the evening. “Oh, it’s beautiful here,” he says. “It’s a nice fall day with the leaves changing, the skies are partly cloudy.” Walker is in the throes of a late autumn/winter tour that will see him visit Europe before breaking for Christmas. looking back over the last 12 months, it has been a strong year for the singer-songwriter, with the release of his third record, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung. The album consolidated Walker’s reputation as a pre-eminent folk-psych troubadour, though as 2016 comes to a close, he is already at work on its followup. “A lot of it’s written, we haven’t really recorded anything,” he admits. “It’s a lot slower, but we’re not doing a dub record or anything. There’s lots of weird instruments I want to put on there. I’ve been fucking around with synthesisers a lot. Not like a Kraftwerk record, but using those as another layer of the tune, to get some far-out sounds.”
And with that, he prepares to answer your questions. “Are there any crude ones?” he asks, hopefully.
What are your favourite places to hang in South Side Chicago? Eli Winter
Dr J’s bar, el Burrito Feliz, Hyde Park Records, that’s a good one. And basically any rib joint off MlK, it’s always been a favourite of mine. Or lem’s Bar-B-Q. The South Side is a part of Chicago most people never go to, because there’s not a lot to do down there if you’re a tourist. But it’s beautiful, real nice people. yeah, the fucking food is good down there, man.
Where do you think you’d be if you weren’t pursuing a career in music? Mason Wheatley, via email
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Kim Gordon: La Ghosts & Flowers
As KIM GORDON prepares to release No Home Record – her brilliant debut solo album – she takes stock of her consistently adventurous career so far. To discuss: her early days in New York’s Downtown, cooking with Neil Young and the perils of gentrification. “Life is unexpected,” she tells Tom Pinnock
Tinariwen: Even Nomads Get The Blues
A lot has changed for TINARIWEN since they became superstars of desert rock’n’roll. But their Saharan homeland remains as troubled as ever. We track the band down in Morocco, where Michael Bonner hears tales of exile, insurgency and belonging. “As long as people are oppressed, there will be room for protest music,” they explain
Angel Olsen: Her Bright Materials
Welcome to Asheville, North Carolina, where ANGEL OLSEN is poised to release her new album, All Mirrors. Erin Osmon joins the singer-songwriter at home to discuss heartbreak, fantasy property deals and her latest bold pop experiment. “Sometimes your dreams are not what they seem,” she says
“I Was Insatiable!”
From a back garden in Epsom to the stage of the O2 – via Bombay, New York, Marrakesh and Beijing – join us as JIMMY PAGE guides us through 60 years’ worth of his marvellous adventures. CliffRichard! Exorcisms! “A cauldron of inspiration”! There are road trips with The Yardbirds, magical recording sessions at Headley Grange, his ongoing relationship with Robert Plant and the vast musical legacy of Led Zeppelin to consider. “I was dealt a very good hand,” Page tells Michael Odell. “And I like to think I played it well.”
'I Was Pretty Bad At Being A Pop Star'
Riding high on the back of Bon Iver’s endorsement and his finest album in years, the piano master discusses the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, cryogenics and appearing in “some of the worst videos ever made”
The Go-Betweens - G Stands For Go-Betweens: Volume 2 – 1985–1989 Domino
Australian indie ambassadors’ golden age showcased in opulent style.
It's Too Late To Stop Now
Has VAN MORRISON mellowed at last? After yet another remarkable period in his ongoing creative renaissance, the Celtic soul warrior is on good form as he talks R&B, transcendence and mythical bootlegs with Graeme Thomson. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing for quite a while,” he reveals
Robert Plant - Digging Deep
ESPARANZA 7/10 Percy on 45! A boxset of 7”s traces Plant’s post-Zep progress. By Michael Bonner
Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance
The poet’s intimate musical postscript.
'I'll Tell You The Full Story…'
During the past 12 months, a series of lavish boxsets have tracked DAVID BOWIE’s early development throughout 1968 and 1969. As this comprehensive archeological survey concludes with Conversation Piece, long-serving producer TONY VISCONTI relives the highs and lows of Bowie’s breakthrough. There are ham sandwiches, Marc Bolan impressions, the peerless “Space Oddity”, and tearful studio interludes… but, most importantly, we learn how the music made during this brief but pivotal period critically influenced one superstar in the making: David Bowie himself…
