Calexico + Iron & Wine, Madison Cunningham
The Sylvee 25 S. Livingston St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Anthony Mulcahy
Calexico and Iron & Wine.
Folk giants Calexico and Iron & Wine converged to create last year’s album, Years To Burn, and created a gorgeous love letter to their shared genre. Each song is a master class in songwriting. While “Father Mountain” shows restraint, “The Bitter Suite” demonstrates the power of experimentation and letting artistic inhibitions fly. With Madison Cunningham.
$35.
press release: Since releasing Years to Burn, Calexico and Iron & Wine’s first full–length album together, earlier this year, the band have been bringing their stunning live show to fans throughout Europe, the UK and North America. Today, the power group has announced new tour dates in 2020, kicking off 1/29 with two nights at Chicago’s Thalia Hall, DC’s The Anthem, NY’s Webster Hall, Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium and more. In addition to performing songs from the new album including “Father Mountain” and “Midnight Sun”, the group also performs tracks off the critically acclaimed 2005 In the Reins EP including “He Lays in the Reins”, as well as songs from their respective catalogues. Full list of dates below.
The band recently made a stop at NPR where they did a Tiny Desk performance which you can watch HERE. Of the performance NPR noted, “This set perfectly captures the easy patience of their interplay, as Burns, Convertino, Beam and a few of their most trusted collaborators performed two songs from Years to Burn.” Further adding, " It’s (Years to Burn) a beautiful slow-burn of an album that often feels at ease, and occasionally doesn't resemble either of the bands that made it."
Praise for Years to Burn:
"The warm voice of singer-songwriter Sam Beam (who performs as Iron & Wine) guides the album’s lead track “Father Mountain,” which features an airy acoustic progression and uplifting harmonies from Calexico’s Joey Burns." - Rolling Stone
"The inner peace that comes with that age and experience certainly shines through on “Father Mountain,” a jangly, pastoral reverie that takes on the fuzzy haze of fond memories slowly fading." - Paste Magazine
"["Father Mountain"] seems to skip spring and summer and arrives promptly on a crisp fall day. Pull on a cozy flannel and watch the gold and red leaves falling from the trees with the new song." - The Current
Praise for the live show:
"Chemistry between Iron & Wine and Calexico was natural throughout the performance, with nary a pregnant pause or misstep between them. It was enough to make one believe the two acts could join forces for the duration of their careers." - The Big Takeover
"It was here that we were reminded of the chemistry that exists between Calexico and Iron & Wine... it was impossible to deny that, in the context of musical collaborations and supergroups, this one feels truly organic and not at all lacking of substance." - Glide Magazine
Madison Cunningham’s Who Are You Now has been nominated for “Best Americana Album” by the Recording Academy at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. “You work your whole life only dreaming to achieve a moment like this,” Cunningham says of her nomination, “To say that I am blown away and thankful is an outrageous understatement.”
“Writing this record really forced me to take an honest look at where I came from, what my dreams and fear were, and who I was becoming as a result,” Cunningham says of Who Are You Now. The album was recorded at Sonic Ranch studio in El Paso with producer and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Chester, who has also worked with artists such as Jackson Browne, Blake Mills and Andrew Bird.
The Orange County, California, native has performed as a duet partner with Punch Brothers’ Chris Thile on APM’s “Live From Here” and her list of champions has continued to grow, including Andrew Bird, Sara Watkins, Nickle Creek and the Milk Carton Kids’ Joey Ryan.
Cunningham first picked up a guitar at age seven, and by age twelve was singing and performing alongside her five siblings in church. By the age of fifteen, Cunningham realized songwriting was a passion she wanted to pursue, citing Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan as key inspirations. “It’d always been a hobby before, but around then, I realized I wanted to make it a religious practice,” she says. “I thought if I could capture some of their same spirit ever in my life, I’d have to work hard and every day.”