In the absence of touring, The Current has launched Live Virtual Sessions, connecting you to artists where they are quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic. In this session, host Jade connects with singer-songwriter Valerie June, who is spending this time at her family home in the city of Humboldt, Tennessee.

"It's kind of between Memphis and Nashville," June explains. "That's where I was born and raised."

Valerie June had returned to her hometown to attend a friend's birthday party, and that's when the coronavirus took its grip. "I was planning to fly out of Nashville to L.A. for this gig with the L.A. Philharmonic," June says, "and as I was watching the news and reading the papers and everything, I was kind of like, 'I don't think I need to go.' I had a feeling I should stay in Humboldt."

In the course of the session, Valerie June extends what she describes as "dandelion wishes" to members of the medical community and to all those facing COVID-19 head on. "I always remember this book called The Dandelion Seed, and it's a children's book," June explains. "The seeds of the dandelion go all over the world when you blow on them, and I feel like right now, so many people are at home and they need something to uplift them, so if we're being very mindful and we're using mindfulness as a technique to think about others and ways we can uplift them, what would be something you would wish for someone on the other side of the globe? Or your neighbor? Or someone in your house?"

Watch and listen to the complete session with Valerie June in the video player above.

Songs Performed

"Somebody To Love"
"Astral Plane" (note: due to a technical difficulty, portions of this song are inaudible; please enjoy Valerie's performance of this song, recorded in our studio in 2017, by watching the video below.)

External Link

Valerie June - official site

Gallery

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