[Cover photo credit to Magnus Diehl]
Vocalist and songwriter Julie Christensen has had a long connection to the work of Nashville singer-songwriter Kevin Gordon. Having built her career forging connections through song, including stints as Leonard Cohen’s backing vocalist, Christensen knows the value of a sticky melody and well-crafted lyrics.
Christensen and her band, Stone Cupid, recorded Gordon’s “Saint on a Chain” for their 2016 album, The Cardinal. But in 2020, she decided someone ought to record an entire collection of the Louisiana native’s songs. The result, 11 From Kevin: Songs of Kevin Gordon, will be released on January 21, 2022 , Christensen’s birthday, on Wirebird Records.
Christensen comments on Gordon’s songwriting:
“You can’t sing a poem, and you can’t read a song. But the way he elides his words and melodies together, they’re just really haunting to me.”
Christensen and Brett Ryan Stewart co-Produced, crafting an album that defies genre definitions. On “Gloryland,” an indictment of false prophets, Christensen stamps Dylan-style intonations over jagged-edge guitars; on “Following a Sign,” about a wandering faith healer, Brent Moyers’ Calexico-style horns lend grace to the song’s understated dignity. Guitarist Chris Tench and guitar/dobro/mandolin player Sergio Webb also provide standout moments throughout.
