Horse Feathers, led by singer-songwriter Justin Ringle and longtime collaborator, violinist Nathan Crockett, broadens their sonic palette on Cynic’s New Year to include 11 musicians playing instruments including drums, French horn, piano, bells, upright bass and banjo. The album was recorded at Portland’s Miracle Lake Studios with producer Skyler Norwood (Blind Pilot, Talkdemonic) as well as at Ringle’s own Hawthorne Park studio. Praised by NYLON for their “delicately wrought and rustic tales of promise and woe,” the group’s three previous releases have garnered critical acclaim with The Onion noting that Ringle adds “both pathos and mystery with his sometimes high, sometimes whispery, always creaky voice,” while Mother Jones hails the group’s “impressionistic lullabies barbed with staccato strings, flourishing under Ringle’s hopeful intonations.” Paper adds “Horse Feathers’ string-heavy folk music has a beautiful classic Americana sound.”
Horse Feathers was formed after Justin Ringle moved to Portland in 2004. Having played with rock bands in his native Idaho, Ringle found himself drawn to a softer, more folk-based sound in the Pacific Northwest. He began combining stark lyrics (he cites Cormac McCarthy as an influence) with subtle acoustic arrangements and in 2006 released the first Horse Feathers album, Words are Dead, which was nominated for Americana Album of the Year by the Plug Awards. This was followed by 2008’s House With No Home, the band’s first release on Kill Rock Stars, and 2010’s Thistled Spring. The title track from Thistled Spring was named an NPR Song of the Day: “There’s a clear and present disconnect between the soothingly majestic beauty of Horse Feathers’ music and Ringle’s words…but Horse Feathers’ members understand with clarity how much richer ‘Thistled Spring’ is for its darker shading.”
Horse Feathers Tour Dates:4/13 Sam Bonds Eugene, OR
4/14 Grand Theater Salem, OR
4/15 Red Room Spokane, WA
4/17 Tower Theater Pullman, WA
4/18 Shakedown Bellingham, WA
4/19 Biltmore Vancouver, BC
4/20 The Barboza Seattle, WA
4/21 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
4/24 7th St. Entry Minneapolis, MN
4/25 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
4/26 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
4/27 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI4/28 Founders Grand Rapids, MI
4/29 The Horseshoe Toronto, ON
5/1 Maverick’s Ottawa, ON
5/2 Il Motor Montreal, QC
5/3 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
5/4 Iron Horse Northampton, MA
5/5 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA
5/6 The Met Providence, RI
5/7 Café Nine New Haven, CT
5/9 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
5/10 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
5/11 Black Cat Washington, DC
5/12 The Southern Charlottesville, VA
5/15 Local 506 Raleigh, NC
5/16 Grey Eagle Asheville, NC
5/17 The EARL Atlanta, GA
5/18 The Basement Nashville, TN
5/19 Cosmic Charlie’s Lexington, KY
5/20 Nelsonville Music Festival Nelsonville, OH
5/22 The Firehouse North Manchester, IN
5/23 The Bishop Bloomington, IN
5/24 The Firebird St. Louis, MO
5/26 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
5/27 Low Spirits Albuquerque, NM
5/28 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
5/30 The Casbah San Diego, CA
5/31 The Echo Los Angeles, CA
6/1 Crepe Place Santa Cruz, CA
6/2 The Independent San Francisco, CA
6/3 Origami Lounge Chico, CA
Labels: 2012 Tour Dates, Horse Feathers Ann Arbor Ark
Glen Hansard has scheduled a date to play Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI on September 15th. Iron & Wine will be the support act for this show.
