Indie-folk supergroup Bonny Light Horseman will release a new double album for their Jagjaguwar debut, Keep Me On Your Mind/Set You Free, arriving June 7th. The trio – Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman – announced the project today, alongside their recent single and first-ever music video, “I Know You Know.” The band’s blend of American traditional folk with rock, pop and even psychedelic elements reflects the multifaceted nature of languishing lyrics and hopeful melodies.
Bonny Light Horseman began as a group invited to Eaux Claires in 2018 by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dressner, and since have put forth several albums and were even nominated for the Grammy’s Best Folk Album for their self-titled debut.
This twenty-song double album is a community effort. The trio met up in 2023 at Levis Corner House, a century-old pub in Ballydehob, Co Cork, Ireland. With JT Bates on the drums, Cameron Ralston on the bass, Bella Blasko as the recording engineer, and permission from pub owner Joe O’Leary, they recorded over half of the album over three days, ending with a live performance that made it into the music video for single “When I Was Younger.” Back in New York at Dreamland Recording Studios, Bon Iver’s Mike Lewis added tenor saxophone and bass, and Annie Nero added upright bass and backing vocals while D. James Goodwin mixed and Kaufman produced.
Pre-order or pre-save Keep Me On Your Mind/Set You Free here. The group will also be kicking off their next tour at the Virginia Arts Festival in mid-June and will be playing Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg as well as Union Transfer. Tickets for the Philly show can be found at WXPN’s Concert Calendar; more information on the tour here.