BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY About When Songs Change
9 April 2026
I love the smell of BPB songs in the morning.
Last month BPB released his new album We Are Together Again.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY – Enchanting Balladeer Reflects On Our Changing World On ‘WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN’
6 March 2026
Photo by Urban Wyatt
Balladeer Will Oldham, operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does), and was also a member of a couple of bands.
Album: We Are Together Again
It follows last year’s eminent LP
The Purple Bird.
Press info: “However dimly we perceive it, we are living through a change of worlds.
The one we were born into is slipping away, reshaped and denuded by human action. What remains is the question of what we will carry forward, and how we will refuse to surrender ourselves. Will Oldham’s new album feels like an answer.
In Oldham’s songs friendship, community, and the stubborn joy of making art with others become a means of persistence. This isn’t a denial of collapse, which would be delusion, but a kind of defiance: remaining fully human, fully joyful, in a world with a diminishing horizon.”
Oldham: “This record was made closer to the Ohio River than any I’ve been involved
with since 1993’s Palace Brothers’ ‘There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You. Louisville’s’ current-and-past vital musical community is highlighted on every song.
Catherine Irwin, who sang on the BPB release ‘Ease Down the Road’, is back here on ‘Hey Little’ and ‘Vietnam Sunshine.’ Lacey Guthrie, Tory Fisher and Katie Peabody, the three front women of the band Duchess, sing together on the opening and closing songs, parallel odes to the beast that is fear.”
TUTV: BPB is one of those balladeers who keep on enchanting, despite their musical palette hardly ever changing. Fans know what he has to offer, as he does once again
with this new work. Acoustic guitar accompanied heart-to-heart ponderings, and
lullabies follow each other in an organic way.
Overall thematically, he reflects on our disturbingly changing world: “Life is scary,
we are scared, we’ve arrived here unprepared,” on the melancholic contemplation
Life Is Scary Horses’ says a lot of what is on his mind.
His quiet voice always has a de-stressing resonance. His several duets with the equally beautiful voice of Catherine Irwin are so fitting here, as are the subtle orchestrations with strings, cello, and horns now and then. Although this record is mainly about our current rat race, there’s room for more personal moments. BPB does again what he does best. And I like it.
KEY SINGLE
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5 BEST ALBUMS OF THE MONTH – JANUARY 2025
31 January 2025
Band: DITZ
Who: Unbridled post-punks
from Brighton, UK.
Album: NEVER EXHALE
Follow-up to their astonishing debut
The Great Regression from 2022.
TUTV: Without a shadow of a doubt, the perfect soundtrack for Doomsday.
Sledgehammer after sledgehammer, drone after drone, brainfucker after
brainfucker. Always danger in the air.
Cal Francis‘s spoken word performances are bone-chilling. His primal screams
send shivers down the spine. Lyrically, he operates in a space where reality and
surreality meet. No room for birds and bees.
Sonically, they fabricate a volcanic and bombastic wall-of-helter-skelter havoc.
Blood-curdling emo-punk exorcism. Chainsaw chaos. Flabbergasting and
jaw-dropping are the keywords.
Never Exhale is an other-worldly Götterdämmerung experience.
It smells like something is alive and kicking here. A spectacular and
lasting tour de force. No regression whatsoever, only progression.
Photo by TUTV – Belgium, 2024
Canadian noizz bulldozers Metz are on a long hiatus.
Ditz will fill the gap. 2025 is theirs. Inhale them.
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Instagram – Linktree
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Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS
Who: Two razorblade riot girrrrlzz – vox/guitarist Phoebe Lunny
and bassist Lilly Macieira – from Brighton (UK) with an insatiable
appetite for mass moshpits.
Album: WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
Their debut longplayer.
Faster than a Formula One Ferrari.
Louder than a supersonic jet.
Punkier than any punks around.
Trashing. Crashing. Slashing.
Hellish. Demonic. Manicial.
Deeper-cutting than a Swiss knife.
More lethal than a rattling riot-gun.
Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Lille, France – 24 February 2024
11 knockouts. 11 killers. 11 hits.
11 Molotov cocktails. 11 bulls-eyes.
Massive bass buzz.
Schizo guitar riffs.
Octopus drumming.
Exorcistic screams.
Cuntological rages.
100 sneers. 100 spits.
100 rants. 100 bursts.
100 shits. 100 fuck-offs.
Middle-finger to all LGBTQ-haters.
To hell with all greedy capitalists.
Kick Brex-shit in the nationalistic ass.
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Instagram – Website
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Album artwork
Artist: BENJAMIN BOOKER
Who: Absorbing singer-songwriter
from Virginia.
Album: LOWER
His first one in 7 years,
3rd overall.
Pitchfork says: “The New Orleans-based singer-songwriter constructs a corroded
beat-centric grunge that soundtracks stories of violence and perseverance… He pays
sneering homage to the U.S. government’s history of covertly undermining
African American liberation.
The message: This game wasn’t winnable then, and it certainly isn’t winnable now. Booker has seemingly spent the seven years since his last record swallowing down all the hopelessness and dread he could hold. Now he’s spitting it back up like bile. Booker offers pockets of solace amid the outrage.
(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brussels 2014)
TUTV: 11 years ago BB released his garage blues/soul rock debut LP. Raw and rough.
I saw him perform an emotional gig in Brussels before about 100 people. His 2nd more laid-back album ‘Witness‘ followed in 2017 and he went away after it and now 7 years he’s back with Lower.
A totally different piece of work. A mostly guitar-distorted, yet quite melodic sound
fits his near-whispering, at times haunting and ominous vocals à la trip-hop legend
Tricky. The tone is inky accentuating his downhearted sentiments, his pain caused by
that disease called racism. It’s still present in America’s society an under Trump all white supremacists are crawling back from their caves without any fear. That orange criminal gave them a voice again. Poor, poor America.
This significant, awe-inspiring and cathartic opus reflects the still alarming and
oppressing situation black people have to suffer from. Not only in the USA.
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Instagram – Linktree
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Band: THE VEILS
Who: Reknowed New Zealand band THE VEILS
centred around songsmith Finn Andrews.
Album: ASPHODELS
7th one.
It takes its name from the Ancient Greek flower of the Underworld, and lyrically, Andrews draws more from the great poets than he does from the well of more traditional rock and roll songwriters.
TUTV: Andrews‘ enthrals one again with songs of love and death, songs of hope
and loss. He evokes Nick Cave and Father John Mysty atmospherics where introspection, melancholia and contemplations stir heart and soul. The tone is almost acoustic throughout. The timbre is mellow, affectionate, and melodramatic.
Andrews‘s vulnerable vocals are heartbreaking at times and draw your aural attention uninterruptedly. He’s blessed with a spellbound voice that fits his romantic music perfectly. 9 ruminative ballads, 9 soft-hearted musing for laid-back evenings, away
from all outside noise. A memorable 2025 accomplishment.
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Instagram – Linktree
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Artist: BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY
Who: Alter ego of singer-songwriter Will Oldham. He started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does), and, was also a member of a couple of bands.
Album: THE PURPLE BIRD
LP artwork
Pitchfork says: “A sort of companion to his two previous studio LPs, it’s also his
best and most focused in some time. The Purple Bird is a Bonnie “Prince” Billy country record. Oldham gave himself over fully to the Nashville experience, participating in a series of casual songwriting sessions with various local legends and playing with a wrecking crew of musicians who are deft enough to sound like they’ve been backing him on stages all over creation. There’s a freewheeling spirit to the music they created together, a punchy camaraderie that connects.”
TUTV: BPB doesn’t behave, doesn’t dress, or doesn’t brag like super rock and roll
stars do. He’s a star when it comes to masterly singer-songwriter qualities. For years
he wrote/recorded contemplative records. Both moody and mellow. He’s a unique crooner, a genuine balladeer and a wholehearted vocalist.
And this laid-back collection of country reveries confirms once again what
we know for a long time. Never a dull moment with Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
Dim the lights, relax, listen, feel the warmth, and enjoy the soothing music.
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BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY About His Idol JONATHAN RICHMAN
22 January 2025
Bonnie loves the roadrunner.
Richman (on the right) with his Modern Lovers and their biggest hit (from 1976).
BPB releases new LP The Purple Bird on January 31st.
BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Delivers Another Country Tearjerker With Vocal Help From His Friend JOHN ANDERSON
New striking strokes
8 January 2025
Photo by David Ferguson
Crooner/balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his musical journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple
of bands.
As announced last month the Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of
Nashville for his next LP. He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg”
Ferguson who co-wrote several songs. It’s titled The Purple Bird and will land on
the 31st of January.
More info here.
New album artwork
Today we get taster number 3.
DOWNSTREAM is a country tearjerker featuring veteran voice John Anderson.
This is endearing melancholia for relaxing moments under a shiny sky. Marvellous.
WATCH/LISTEN
STREAM
Balladeer BONNIE “PRINCE’ BILLY Has His New LP ‘THE PURPLE BIRD’ Out On 31 January 2025
Coming up
15 December 2025
Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and, was also a member of a couple of bands.
The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named THE PURPLE BIRD and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.
New album artwork
Singles (shared so far): Our Home / London May
BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Muses Again On ‘LONDON MAY’ From His Forthcoming Album
New striking strokes
4 December 2024
Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple of bands.
The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named The Purple Bird and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.
New album artwork
The 2nd shared preview is a reverie named LONDON MAY.
“When David Ferguson and I were putting songs together for The Purple Bird sessions,
I remembered the song I’d made for London’s film; I was performing it regularly live, and it didn’t feel quite complete… Ferg was game, and we tracked it. I’d long begun to want to hear other voices in the song. In the end, we roped in the phenomenal Kentucky-born singer Brit Taylor to sing harmonies and other supporting parts. Her voice is stellar to say the least.”
Vintage BPB. Sonic poetic enchantment
BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Goes Country – Hear First Musing ‘OUR HOME’ From His Upcoming Album Featuring His Producer
nNew striking strokes
22 October 2024
Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple of bands.
The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named The Purple Bird and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.
New album artwork
Oldham: “I’ve made records with friends, collaborative records like The Brave and the Bold with Tortoise; the two Superwolf records with Matt Sweeney; The Wonder Show of the World with Emmett Kelly; Get on Jolly with Mick Turner. These collaborators get top billing because that’s how this business works. This record, The Purple Bird, is similarly a collaborative effort but the collaborator is the producer, David Ferguson. He’s a giant of a man, an epic musical force, a dear friend. Our work together on this record was the result of years of sharing hard times and great joys, songs and stories, of making music together and apart. There’s a lot of trust in this record on Ferg’s part and on mine, and the trust was hard- and well-earned. When I listen to the record, often times I can’t help but laugh in wonder that life allowed me to participate in such a thing.”
Here’s the first taster, titled OUR HOME and it features Grammy-winning mandolinist
Tim O’Brien. BPB’s warm voice matches Nashville musings superfine (as expected).
BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY Shares New Song ‘KEEPING SECRETS WILL DESTROY US’
New songs
23 November 2023
American singer-songwriter Will Oldham released last summer
a new Bonnie “Prince” Billy titled Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You.
He recorded the LP in his Louisville home studio with local musicians.
Now he shared a new song with the same title as that album,
but wasn’t on it, with another group of friends.
A characteristic nostalgic BPB musing featuring a not-credited female singer.
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BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Creates A Tranquilizing State Of Mind With New Splendid Album ‘KEEPING SECRETS WILL KILL YOU’
13 August 2023
Prolific American folk troubadour WILL OLDHAM, better
known by his artist name BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY released
his umpteenth album, baptized KEEPIG SECRETS WILL DESTROY YOU
yesterday.
AllMusic: “The open-air sound and restrained instrumentation — there are no drums, and some songs barely rise above the level of a whisper, add to the soft, contemplative air that breathes throughout. On every track, Oldham’s voice and ever-unique songwriting style are in the spotlight. Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You is slow moving, intentional, and mysterious, with Oldham’s long-practiced balance of menace and thoughtfulness at its peak. Like the best of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s work that came before it, Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You is the kind of record that gets played over and over until it feels like a part of the listener’s personal history.” Score: 4.5/5.
Single ‘Bananas’
TUTV: BPB is an expert when it comes to writing/recording/releasing intimate
music that slows down busy states of minds and gets you in a tranquillizing mood,
away from our rat-race reality. His cosy, crooning voice is, as usual, the star in the middle, co-caused by the minimal, acoustic guitar/violin, sound approach. Most of BPB’s songs here have a bittersweet melodic and catching resonance and feature touching female vocals here and there. Soul-stirring record.
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BPB: All Albums – Instagram
(Photo BPB: from cover of his ‘Songs of Love and Horror‘ album)