If you went to one of the first few shows Mark and I played, you’ll remember that we played a few Russian covers. I studied Russian in college and lived in Russia for almost a year, and I am majorly obsessed with Russian rock music. Kino, Nochniye Snaiperi, Akvarium … I love them all.
But between our show at Sola and our show at Electric Beanz, Putin annexed Crimea. Though I still love Russian culture and music, I do not support what Putin and the Russian government have done, so we decided to stop playing Russian covers.
This left us with a hole in our set that we had to fill quickly. I had tons of original songs we had yet to play out, but most of them needed a lot more part writing before they’d be ready. I could only dig up one song I was totally prepared to perform on such short notice: “Folksong #1.”
I wrote this song as a freshman in college after a loooong songwriting dry spell. I originally considered it more of a “b-side” song. As I was writing it, I remember thinking that it wasn’t very good, but I felt almost compelled to finish it.
I’m glad I did, because it’s grown on me over the years. The lyrics are much simpler and expected than what I usually write, but I think they complement the message of the song, which is straightforward and relatable.
I played “Folksong #1” solo at Electric Beanz (Mark heard it for the first time at the show!), but we’ll soon develop a cello part and add it into our set. We didn’t get any footage at the show, but I tried to recreate the magic in my living room. Below, watch me play “Folksong #1” solo on guitar next to my trusty green friend, the golden pothos. And stay tuned for the release of the full band version!
“Folksong #1”
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