This was definitely an exciting week for me. Not only did I get to see one of my favorite singer-songwriters, but I actually had a chance to have an extended conversation with him. The troubadour is Sam Beam, but you probably know him as Iron & Wine.
With a brand new album out entitled Beast Epic, Sam has put a band together to tour the country. Choosing to surround himself with good friends, and some amazing musicians it definitely paid off on stage. The same could be said for the brand new album, which has found Iron & Wine seeing things come full circle with more focus on recording tracks live and really letting his voice take off.
During our conversation we got to chat about guitars,(of which he is only traveling with nylon string acoustic guitars,) coming back to Sub Pop Records, as well as some of his joint ventures he has had with other musicians. Something that really stood out during the interview, and his time on stage, was a man comfortable in his own skin, who absolutely loves writing and playing music. I think this is the reason that Iron & Wine has managed to build such a great following of fans and to continually put out great music every step of the way.
So, for tonight's Sunday Night Chill, I thought I would treat you to an evening with Iron & Wine. Included in this are a few tracks he played at his show in Albuquerque, his cover of Neil Young's Albuquerque (which I suggested he played during our interview, but didn't quite make the setlist,) and lastly Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You." The band managed to play a beautiful cover of the track, and since I couldn't find a copy of it, I thought I would treat you to the original.
Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Jordana
