When Endless Field, the “ambient Americana” (NPR) acoustic duo of guitarist Jesse Lewis and bassist Ike Sturm, released its eponymous debut on Biophilia in 2017, the album was hailed by Downbeat for its “awe-inspired tranquility,” evoking “distant horizons and airy, windswept melodies.” Endless Field received a four-star review and was included among Downbeat’s Best of 2017.
“Distant horizons” indeed: when Lewis and Sturm contemplated their follow-up effort, they hatched plans for an album recorded wholly outdoors, in remote locations of rare and stunning beauty. After arduous logistical planning, they ventured into the sweeping, endangered wilderness of Southern Utah to record Alive in the Wilderness, their second Biophilia release.
With a solar-powered recording rig, an engineer deeply committed to the project (Dana Nielsen), and National Geographic photographers and videographers to document every performance (each track has an accompanying video), Lewis and Sturm pushed themselves to the physical limit, yet arrived at moments of pure inspiration, elevated calm and clarity of musical intent. Lewis plays intricate finger-style lines, fleet improvisations and ambient textures on steel-string acoustic guitar, while Sturm’s warm, capacious upright bass tone (you can practically hear the desert air filling up his instrument) gives even the most ethereal music a strong backbone. In addition, both Lewis and Sturm play homemade foot percussion rigs (heard clearly on such pieces as “Zim,” “Heart” and “Dance of the Bee”), with added sonic color and momentum from Lewis’ bells and cymbals.
To underscore their commitment to environmental activism and the preservation of these treasured American landscapes, Lewis and Sturm are donating all proceeds from Alive in the Wilderness to the Natural Resources Defense Council. “We want to help support their work combating climate change and protecting the very wilderness areas where we recorded,” Lewis remarks. “We want this album to create awareness and inspire action.”
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for “Old Man,” a song that encapsulates what makes the Endless Field’s environmentally-tied approach to their music so unique. Filmed in the Utah wilderness, the song is an acoustic meditation led by Lewis’ subtle yet intricate acoustic guitar picking. There is a serene calmness that permeates in their music, which feels rooted in folk, jazz and classic, but is in fact more about creating a mood than sticking to any one genre. The duo performs quietly in bucolic and stunning surroundings such as the side of a brook and in a vibrant field of sunflowers among other locales, and the music is complemented a backdrop of nature sounds like rushing water, chirping crickets, and softly blowing wind. The gorgeous cinematography visually conveys the music’s ability to capture the sweeping spirit of nature, and as the duo slowly builds the textures of the song you can feel that same sense of majestic drama you experience when looking out over a canyon or from the top of a mountain.
The duo share their thoughts on the inspiration behind the song:
“‘Old Man’ has roots in every part of our live recording experience in the Utah wilderness. We recorded this song in 8 contrasting acoustic environments, each dramatically shaped by the sounds and life around us. Takes from every different location were mixed individually and then joined together, uniting these surreal spaces in need of protection. We hope you’ll enjoy traveling with us through the epic sonic and visual landscapes we discovered on this journey.”
WATCH:
Photo Credit – Christopher Georgia
