A double header that will be of great interest to readers of Americana UK is a tour later this year when Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico hook up with Sam Bean of Iron and Wine. The trio first made an artistic connection with the release of the 2005 EP,‘In the Reins’. While their musical careers have taken divergent paths since, they always talked of collaborating again, both in the studio and on stage, but it wasn’t until last year that their schedules sufficiently aligned for them to be able to record together. The resulting album is ‘Years to Burn’ which is due to be issued on the 14th of June via Sub Pop/City Slang.
The eight song album was recorded and produced over the course of a week at Sound Emporium by Matt Ross-Spang who has previously worked with the likes of John Prine, Margo Price and Jason Isbell.
Speaking about the new venture Joey Burns said: “John and I spent five days in early December of 2018 hanging out with Sam and playing tunes in Nashville at Sound Emporium with our friends Rob Burger on keyboards, Sebastian Steinberg on bass, Jacob Valenzuela on trumpet, Paul Niehaus on pedal steel and engineer/producer Matt Ross-Spang behind the mixing desk. As soon we started playing together, everything just clicked…This project had to find the right time. We’re all different people than we were in 2004, and music helps to bridge some of the gaps. For all the things going on in the world and in each of our lives, this connection, this friendship, this love that we have – this album is a vehicle for that bond. It’s a chance to see where we’re at, take stock and be there for our friends.”
Calexico and Iron and Wine perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival in August before returning to the UK for a fuller tour in November.
Tour dates for Calexico and Iron and Wine:
2 AUG – Cambridge Folk Festival
18 NOV – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
19 NOV – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
20 NOV – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
21 NOV – Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
23 NOV – Royal Festival Hall, London
24 NOV – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-On-Sea
You can listen to the excellent ‘Father Mountain’ right here:
