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Taken from his forthcoming album, When I’m Called, out July 12th on Fat Possum, Jake Xerxes Fussell has shared his new single “Gone To Hilo”, a reinterpretation of a maritime song that he learned from a number of recordings made by American and British folk revivalists of the 1950s. While some might be quick to call it a “sea chantey,” “Gone To Hilo” was initially sung as a “halyard song,” meaning a call-and-response piece sung by workers to accompany the hoisting of sails aboard clipper ships in the 19th century.
Fussell says, “It’s important to remember that a lot of the songs we call sea chanties might have only functioned as such for a short period of time before escaping (or becoming culturally irrelevant to) their original contexts,” Fussell elaborates. “Even in its original work song context, the song abstracts time and place. From whose point of view is this song sung? Who is Johnny? And why is he sometimes ‘Tommy?’ And where is Hilo anyway? Is it Ilo, Peru, or did they mispronounce Hawai’i? And where is Rye-o? Are they singing about Rio de Janeiro or Ryo, Georgia? That’s folk music, baby.”
Alongside Fussell (voice and guitar), he is joined by Robin Holcomb on harmony, James Elkington on organ and pedal steel guitar, Blake Mills on acoustic guitar, Ben Whiteley on bass, and Joe Westerlund on drums.
Fussell tours the UK in late August/September; see dates below.
Jake Xerxes Fussell Tour Dates
Thu. May 16 – Charlotte, NC @ The Evening Muse
Fri. May 17 – Asheville, NC @ The Outpost
Sat. May 18 – Talbotton, GA @ Talbotton Fest
Sun. May 19 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Fri. June 21 – Roanoke, VA @ Spot on Kirk
Sat. June 22 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
Sun. June 23 – Mt. Solon, VA @ Red Wing Roots Festival
Tue. June 25 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
Thu. June 27 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge ~
Fri. June 28 – Catskill, NY @ Avalon Lounge ~
Sat. June 29 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Tue. July 16 – San Diego @ The Casbah *
Wed. July 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Barnsdall Gallery *
Thu. July 18 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Brisol’s Cider House *
Fri. July 19 – Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall *
Sat. July 20 -San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *
Sun. July 21 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s *
Tue. July 23 – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Pub *
Wed. July 24 -Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
Thu. July 25 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
Fri. July 26 – Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo *
Sat. July 27 – Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall *
Fri. Aug. 30 – London, UK @ Lafayette
Sat. Aug. 31 – Lewes, UK @ Con Club Lewes nr Brighton
Sun. Sept. 1 – Bristol, UK @ Lantern Hall
Mon. Sept. 2 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Tue. Sept. 3 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono
Wed. Sept. 4 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Fri. Sept. 6 – Paris, FR @ L’Archipel
Sat. Sept. 7 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
Sun. Sept. 8 – Rotterdam, NL @ Kantine Walhalla
Thu. Sept. 26 – Lafayette, LA @ Acadiana Center for the Arts
~ with special guest Kath Bloom
* with special guest Robin Holcomb
