Bonny Light Horseman—a new collaboration featuring singer-songwriters Anaïs Mitchell (writer of current hit Broadway music Hadestown), Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats and Bob Weir/The National collaborator Josh Kaufman—have released their debut single, "Bonny Light Horseman."
The soothing track, a cover of a folk ballad, features sparse instrumentation and is led by Mitchell's signature voice, with Johnson harmonizing in the chorus. The song also features The National's Aaron Dessner on guitar, JT Bates on drums and Michael Lewis on tenor sax (the latter two musicians also perform with the group live).
“This is a song about a handsome soldier who may or may not ever come home," Johnson says. "And we named our band after it not just because it sounds kind of cool, but because it's somewhat emblematic of what we're trying to do here: sing you ancient love songs of timeless humanity and heartbreak. Songs that are gonna make you feel something no matter what century you're in.”
Listen below.
Bonny Light Horseman will release information on their debut album soon, and the group, which first came together at Wisconsin's Eaux Claires Music Festival in 2018, has a short schedule of live performances coming up, including today at Pickathon in Oregon.
Bonny Light Horseman Tour Dates:
Aug 3 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon
Sept 3 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
Sept 4 - Grand Rapids, MI - Frederik Meijer Gardens*
Sept 5 - Indianapolis, IN - LO-FI
Sept 6 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium*
* supporting Mandolin Orange
