Das Gitarre-Banjo-Duo Bill MacKay und Nathan Bowles bringt im Frühjahr ein gemeisames Album heraus. “Keys” enthält zwei Handvoll melancholische, spirituell eingefärbte Folksongs, deren aus den beiden Saiteninstrumenten bestehendes Grundgerüst durch dezente Drones, diverse Orgeln, Piano, Percussion und Gesang ergänzt wird. Neben eigenen Stücken sind auch ältere, traditionelle Songs enthalten wie das bekannte Spiritual “Idumaea”. “Keys” erscheint am 9. April bei Drag City.
“The sound of this music in the 21st century has a yearning quality, sometimes melancholy, sometimes rambunctious, but always reaching for something in between the strings, asking eternal questions that have been wondered and remain unknown: Where are we headed? What are we leaving behind? What deserves to be jettisoned, what held onto? When sitting together again to play music, who are we playing for? And for what purpose, to what ends? Will our ears be ready to hear it, whatever it is? With Keys, Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles have begun to ask and answer these queries musically, in a unique, unified declaration.” (Drag City)