Fences and Bonnie “Prince” Billy have collaborated on a new song, ‘Niagra’, and a cover of the seminal Stones classic. They have released a video for ‘Niagra’ which features the two singers shot separately in black and white and edited together as their gentle voices blend on the chorus. Swaths of color and texture are overlayed through the video adding depth to the minimal arrangement. A tasteful pedal steel guitar floats between harmonies and adds a wistfulness that matches the visuals.
Fences is the alias of singer-songwriter Christopher Mansfield who has worked with Billy Strings, Tegan & Sara, Macklemore, Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, Jacquire King (Of Monsters and Men), Nile Marr (son of Johnny Marr), Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta, At The Drive-In) and Ryan Lewis, while having toured with Against Me! And others.
Of the collaboration, Mansfield says, “Working with someone who unknowingly informed you on the process of what it is you do can be jarring. Self-doubt inflates, ego inflates. Whatever is possible to feel will be felt. Two entirely different humans in their own personal timelines trying to essentially find the same song. One is further along the track, yet the track is a circle and two people eventually meet. Consider it not being “lapped” but rather evidence of how a circle works. They will pass and you will pass and then someone else will circle back to you, forever. To quote Ram Dass “You feel in the moment how it is all related to each other and it keeps blowing your mind”. I feel entirely grateful to have worked with Bonnie Prince Billy and if I may be child-like for a moment, it blew my damn mind.”
With unanimous praise from outlets like Paste Magazine, Clash, Spin, American Songwriter and others, Fences hopes to be back out on the road soon.
and a cover of the seminal Stones classic: pretty cryptic, what do you mean?