Ep. 201: “We Are Together Again” New Album by Bonnie “Prince” Billy Out Now!

About Bonnie “Prince” Billy The man who sings and composes under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy and acts under the name Will Oldham has, over the past three-plus decades, made an idiosyncratic journey through, and an indelible mark on, the worlds of indie rock and independent cinema.About “We Are Together Again” Out Now! In 2019 we started in to exploring a process of making Louisville, KY records again, in Louisville studios with Louisville musicians. We did I Made a Place this way, then Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You. Things were going well, and then they started going better. The Purple Bird alit on our shoulders and sung its mating call into the ears of listeners all over the world, thanks primarily to the guidance of friend and producer David Ferguson. That bird is out flying around still, leaving abundances of smiling faces in its mighty wake. Having learned thus to fly, Bonny got back to work on the Louisville-first mandate, digging back into songs left open on the table during the Purple process. Bonny went into End of an Ear studio with Jim Marlowe engineering and co-producing; together they assembled a platoon of brilliant singers, blowers and pickers, including especially Bonny’s current tour mates Jacob Duncan (flute and saxophone) and Thomas Deakin (clarinet, whistle, baritone electric guitar, accordion, cornet). Chris Bush applied his modular synth skills to Duncan’s sax for “Davey Dead”. And harpist Erin Hill, who Oldham first met back in the 1980s when he was a wee lad, sings and plays all over “Davey Dead”. Oldham’s cousin Ryder McNair took a break from assistant-scoring Ridley Scott productions to write string quartet arrangements for these songs, and Will’s brother Ned returns after two decades to sing and play bass. This record was made closer to the Ohio River than any Oldham’s been involved with since 1993’s Palace Brothers There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You. Louisville’s current-and-past vital musical community is hi-lighted on every song. Catherine Irwin, who sang on the BPB release Ease Down the Road, is back here on “Hey Little” and “Vietnam Sunshine”. Lacey Guthrie, Tory Fisher and Katie Peabody, the three front women of the band Duchess, sing together on the opening and closing songs, parallel odes to the beast that is fear. The door was swung ajar by the Purple Bird, with its new take on homespun country bombast, and Bonny has stuck his gorgeous foot into that door to whisper his “I love you”s to all who need them (which we kind of all do). We start small, continue small, like oak tree seeds or the sperm-and-egg concoctions mixologized by the parents of movers-and-shakers since the dawn of time. Plant these songs into your soul’s brain, into your existence’s heart and the trees will grow and fruit and flourish and nourish. We thank you.  Released March 6, 2026Thomas Deakin: accordion, whistle, electric guitar, cornet, tuba, clarinet and singingJacob Duncan: saxophone, flute, piano and singingAll percussion by Caleb VasquezAll string arrangements by Ryder McNairViolin: Charlie Bisharat, Camille Miller, Sara Callaway Cello: Jake BraunViola: Zach DellingerSinging: Tory Fisher, Lacey Guthrie, Katie Peabody, Maggie Halfman, Catherine IrwinFlute and singing: Nuala Kennedy, Bouzouki and singing: Eamon O'Leary Harp and singing: Erin HillBass: Ned Oldham, Chris CuppPiano: Ryder McNairMoog and piano: Jim MarloweTapes and electronics:Christopher BushRecorded and mixed by Jim Marlowe at End of an Ear in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky in the Spring of '25Mastered by Seth ManchesterSuala was recorded by Martin O'Malley at Malbay Studios, County Clare, Ireland. Eamon was recorded by Jefferson Hamer at Epiphany in New York CityAll songs by Will Oldham/Royal Stable Music (ASCAP)Album Available at Bandcamp https://bonnieprincebilly.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-together-againCreditsStephen Bluhm - Engineer Rich Wexler - Interviewer Otter Castro - Editor