Dear friends,
We hope you enjoy this brand new music video, and read to the bottom to find out about our live mini-release party on Zoom!
Between Patreon, our mailing list, and social media, you’ll probably be hearing from us a lot these next several weeks as we do a big push for the crowdfunding campaign for our next album, but it’s only because we are SO excited about it and want to spread it as far and wide as possible! A huge THANK YOU to all of you who have already backed our project–you helped us get great momentum out of the gate, so we’ve had a stellar first few days of fundraising!! As of this writing, we are already 35% funded! If you feel moved to share our project with your network, the link is igg.me/at/WindborneHT
Don’t forget: your secret Patrons-Only Perk is available at this link only: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2631241/x/4607462?secret_perk_token=47fe7add
(A few of you have asked if you can use your secret perk and also give us an additional donation, and the answer is yes! It just takes two transactions: first, click through the secret perk link above and complete that purchase. Then go back to the campaign page and click the pink “BACK IT” button at the top–there, you can do a second transaction with a donation of any amount. If you have any questions, shoot us an email or message us on Patreon, and thank you!)
Now, about this video: As you may have guessed, the title of our album (Of Hard Times & Harmony) was inspired by this piece, which we learned from the singing of Lillie Steele. We were preparing for a showcase called the Archive Challenge hosted by the Library of Congress and the American Folklife Center at FAI (the music industry conference we attended in January). They invited participating musicians to scour their archives for inspiring source material, and we found this grainy recording in the Alan Lomax collection.
We loved the odd timing in the piece as well the sardonic social critique about how everyone in society is trying to pull one over on their fellow citizens. However, we felt like just singing the original lyrics wouldn’t quite translate with the same bite in the modern day, so we wrote several verses of our own. We also wanted to trace the lines of power to their source: in the first two (original) verses, we hear about regular folk who aren’t treating each other very well, then in our verses we look up the ladder at the banker, the politician, and the “lords of industry,” the billionaires pulling the strings that reach deep into so many facets and mechanisms of society.
You’ve heard jaw harps on a few Windborne tracks over the years, usually as a texture accompanying banjo and washboard, but this song called for something different. In a landmark moment in Windborne history, this track features not one, not two, but FIVE jaw harps! (can you spot the moment where the fifth jaw harp appears?) Will may or may not have vastly expanded his jaw harp collection as we worked on this arrangement and experimented with exactly which notes and octaves we wanted to use. For us, the jaw harps gave the piece just the right kind of edge that perfectly complements the zing of the text. We hope you love it as much as we do!
As usual, our Patreon community is getting early access to our videos before we release them publicly. We also wanted you to be the first to know about our idea for a fun public launch for this music video:
On Wed, Oct 28 at 8pm EDT, we will be doing a mini release party on Zoom that is only available to our Patreon community and folks who have backed our Indiegogo campaign. It will include a live showing of this music video, some time to chat and answer questions, and a few surprises. Think of it like a smaller version of our Happy Hour and Brunch events from back in April! We will share the Zoom link closer to the date, and we hope to see you there!
THE SONG OF HARD TIMES
From the singing of Lillie Steele. Additional words and arrangement by Windborne
Come all you good people I’ll sing you a song
I’ll tell you the truth, I know I ain’t wrong
It’s from father to mother, from sister to brother
They’ve got in the fashion of cheating each other
And it’s hard times
Since cheating is got so much into fashion
I’m ‘fraid it will spread all over the nation
And it’s hard times
Here’s the old baker bakes all the bread we eat,
Likewise the old butcher by selling his meat
They’ll tip up the stillyards and make ’em weigh down
And swear it’s good weight if it lacks ten pound
And it’s hard times
Since cheating is got so much into fashion
I’m ‘fraid it will spread all over the nation
And it’s hard times
Here’s the proud banker with keys to his vault
I swear to you all, he’s worse by tenfold
He’ll hand you a thousand and call it a loan
But then soon enough he’ll take all that you own
And it’s hard times
Here comes the senator with a tie and a smile
He’ll pledge and he’ll promise and swear it’s no guile
He’ll go to the capitol and say he’s your friend
Then he’ll line his silk pockets and leave you again
And it’s hard times
Since cheating is got so much into fashion
I’m ‘fraid it will spread all over the nation
And it’s hard times
But the lord of industry owns the whole lot
he’s got nothing to fear ‘cause the Senator he’s bought
He’s fixing the vote and he’s rigging the game
But he points to your neighbor when you ask who’s to blame
And it’s hard times
Since cheating’s the way of the big corporation
By now it’s spread all over the nation
And it’s hard times
Now I’ve concluded I’ve finished my song
I’ve told you the truth and I know I ain’t wrong
The butcher may cheat you, the banker ain’t fair
But the problem is really the billionaire
And it’s hard times
