Live Virtual Session: David Huckfelt at Sounds Like Home
May 25, 2020
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.
"All this virtual stuff is great … but there's no substitute for being in the presence of someone you love," Minneapolis-born songwriter David Huckfelt said before going into his set. Huckfelt joined us live from his home and spoke about his experience writing songs in the remote boonies of America's least-frequented national park. Huckfelt's homespun folk melodies felt right at home with his surroundings: raw wooden walls decorated with old photographs, a taxidermied owl, and antique lamps. There was a relaxing, Northern glow to his barebone songwriting.
During his performance, Huckfelt gave a shout-out to his friend, Keith Secola, an indigenous musician who wrote one of the songs he performed. "He's been making music around the world for 30 years. He gets played on reservation radio stations coast to coast, but not a lot of big stations. He wrote this next song and I asked him if I could record it. He said 'Sure, as long as I can help you do it.'"
Easily the most poignant performance of the set, "The Book of Life" might be the best example of humble, laidback wisdom of Huckfelt's artistry.
Huckfelt's new record, Room Enough, Time Enough, was funded by a Kickstarter campaign that came to light after the pandemic crippled touring income for artists across the industry. Huckfelt said the fundraising was a success and he was waiting on two more overdubs before he put out the record. Room Enough, Time Enough picks up where the new dad — he presented viewers his son between songs — left off: introspective, roots-based Americana that holds reverence for the past while also looking forward into the future.
Songs Performed
03:04 "Better to See the Face Than to Hear the Name"
08:27 "Book of Life" (Keith Secola cover)
20:40 "That's How Every Empire Falls" (John Prine cover)
Hosted by Eric Malmberg
Produced by Jesse Wiza
Engineered by Erik Stromstad
Article by Caleb Brennan
External Link
David Huckfelt - official site
