American singer Steve Gunn has been at the vanguard of American experimental / guitar-oriented rock music for over a decade. After a trio of acclaimed albums recorded for Matador, Gunn recorded his 7th studio album in Chicago with producer James Elkington (who also produced his 2019 record The Unseen In Between). Gunn opted for a more stripped-back approach on Daylight Daylight, with the primary performances coming from Gunn and Elkington, with additional contributions from: Nick Macri, Hunter Diamond, Ben Whiteley, and Macie Stewart.
Steve Gunn’s compositions, from either his instrumental or vocal-accompanied work, have always been studies in tension. “Music for Writers”, the first Gunn album under only his name since 2021, takes those studies to a new level. It is an instrumental album based around guitar, synths and more, it leads the listener to tightly and deeply focus on minute changes and variations in style. It is a masterpiece in fragile, small-scale world-building that occupies a unique space within Gunn's wider discography. Composed and recorded during Gunn’s time at the Pedvale Art Residency in Latvia, the tracks result from Gunn pairing new audio to the experiences in the area surrounding the compound and photography he took while on the grounds. The results range from the wistfully evocative and inquisitive “Park Entrance” to the inviting and exploratory “Pedvale Sunrise”. This listener keeps getting pulled into the entrancing gravitational pull of “Slow Singers On The Hill”.
WHY BUYS • Country singer Jack Guthrie was a cousin of the celebrated folk artist Woody Guthrie • He had a successful but brief career, tragically curtailed when he died from tuberculosis aged 32 • This collection comprises the A & B sides of all his career releases for the Capitol label • Features his No. 1 country hit “Oklahoma Hills”, and his other Top 5 entries “I’m A Brandin’ My Darlin’ With My Heart” and “Oakie Boogie”. • His recording band The Oklahomans comprised top L.A. session men and recording artists • Comprehensive overview of the career of an artist who would undoubtedly have had further success
ABOUT THE COLLECTION Jack Guthrie, a cousin of renowned folk singer Woody Guthrie, was born in Oklahoma in 1915, but like his cousin and thousands of others “Okies” his family moved to California in the 1930s when the Dust Bowl disasters and Great Depression made life unbearably hard there.
Immersed in horses and music, he competed in rodeos and went with Woody to Los Angeles in 1937, where they got a regular spot on a radio show.
He was still serving in WWII when in 1944 he recorded “Oklahoma Hills” which became a country No. 1.
Recording more sessions after his discharge he had two more hits, but in 1947 he was hospitalised with tuberculosis, and died in early 1948 aged just 32.
This collection comprises the A and B side of every single he recorded for the Capitol label, with some of the material released posthumously.
His style was to some extent influenced by the great hillbilly and country pioneer Jimmie Rodgers, and on the sessions he was accompanied by top Los Angeles session musicians, some of whom were artists in their own right, and were billed as Jack Guthrie & His Oklahamans on the record labels.
It features his No. 1 country hit “Oklahoma Hills”, and his other Top 5 entries “I’m A Brandin’ My Darlin’ With My Heart” and “Oakie Boogie”.
His career as a recording artist was tragically short, and this set offers a complete collection of his commercial output.