Since the days of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, modern folk music and organized religion have had a tenuous relationship at best. Yet, there’s also the twist and turns that the genre has shared with gospel hymns, present in every rousing rendition of ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken?’ that you’ve heard at a local folk fest or in the last soulful cadence of a soul-bearing storyteller’s song. The subtle beauties of Adam Burrows’ newest release leading up to the debut of his full LP, Conversations, deals with this exact twist-turning tapestry.
For Folk’s Sake is pleased to premiere ‘A Hymn Instead of a Homily’, which Burrows himself dishes out on below…
[bandcamp width=444 height=120 album=852713292 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 artwork=small tracklist=false tracks=2690385112 esig=2ea1aa2bd3411df5f1833110fbdd3a89]
“’A Hymn Instead Of A Homily’ deals with life’s big questions regarding faith. The homily in the song is meant to be delivered by the slick televangelist/used car salesman type of person but ultimately one finds more meaning and hope through the simplicity of song, specifically hymns. I personally find some of the old hymns to be genuine in their expression of faith and to be comforting. There is also something very profound and moving about hearing a group of people singing together in worship. I think the St. Augustine quote was in the back of my mind while writing this song: ‘He who sings, prays twice.'”
Words by: Jonathan Frahm (@jfrahm_)