Over the weekend of May 15 to 17, The Current hosted Sounds Like Home: a virtual festival of Minnesota music. You can find all the performances archived on The Current's Facebook page, and they'll also be archived one by one right here on our website. Thanks to the Minnesota Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund for allowing The Current to compensate artists for their performances.

As the brains behind beloved Duluth, Minn., pop bluegrass act Trampled By Turtles, Dave Simonett's legacy as an endearing and thoughtful songwriter was already well established. But with Red Tail, Simonett's proper solo LP, he cements himself as one of the Midwest's most fluent folk artists.

There's always been an underlying tenderness and tragedy to Simonett's writing. His placid voice and forlorn lyrics are perfectly aligned with the folk tradition of embracing the poetic aspects of loneliness. Yet, in his own way, this Minnesota bard has always sought to make those feelings less shameful. That brand of melancholy is not dismal, but rather explicitly hopeful. Behind grey clouds, there is always a glimmer of the sun's ray. That philosophy coats Red Tail and Simonett's comforting craftsmanship.

Simonett performed a set of three songs for The Current's Sounds Like Home virtual festival, and he was joined by a couple of very special guests on the third song.

Songs Performed

01:55 "By the Light of the Moon"
04:41 "The Sun Oh Yeah"
16:06 "The Western Wind and the Sunrise"

Hosted by Mac Wilson
Produced by Jesse Wiza
Engineered by Erik Stromstad
Article by Caleb Brennan

External Link

Dave Simonett - official site

Gallery

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