#gray lodge wisdom

Will Stratton / Gray Lodge Wisdom

First of all, before getting into any kind of review, I'd like to say just how nice it is to see Will Stratton back releasing music. The New York-based songwriter wrote and recorded his fifth album, Gray Lodge Wisdom, while receiving treatment for stage III testicular cancer. I mention these circumstances because of the unquestionable impact they must have played on Stratton's psyche and abilities during recording (he moved to his parents in Washington state during his convalescence and created an ad-hoc recording studio there to tape the initial forms of these songs). But this isn't an album about those circumstances, just one affected by them. "I hope that this doesn’t come across as a Record About Cancer, because it’s not,” he says. “I think that it informed the process and the sound of the record more than it affected the content of some of the songs".

The album's title is a direct reference to this period in Stratton's life (the Twin Peaks reference a result of repeated bed-ridden viewings during his recovery). The Gray Lodge represents a midway point between the White and Black Lodges which serve as epicentres of good and evil in David Lynch's Twin Peaks. “What struck me about what I was going through was that all the notions of good and bad and pain and pleasure, darkness and lightness, were all gone,” he says. “They no longer made any sense to me because my frame of reference was completely different. The Gray Lodge was the hospital for me, and the Northwest in general―this really gray, dark, rainy place where I was going to heal. The album title is about coming out of that experience feeling a bit wiser than I was before.”

Musically, Gray Lodge Wisdom is a worthy addition to Stratton's impressive canon. His finger picked guitar and beautiful string arrangements are present, as are his woderfully eloquent lyrics. The album also contains some very nice guest appearances. Tamara Lindeman (aka The Weather Station) provides a guest verse on the title track, and Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins) sings on 'The Arrow Darkens'. The sound is subtle, gentle and reflective, not mournful nor angry or jubilant. 

But the legacy of the album is its impact on Stratton's attitude towards his disease. This is not an album based entirely on the pain and suffering of that period of his life. Rather it is a portrait of a young man feeling his way into the world. Yes his disease has left an indelible mark on him, but he refuses to be defined by the disease alone, and is now attempting to hang on to the positive effects it had on him. “I feel like I have to choose the things to hold onto that I want to remember and that I want to continue to make a part of who I am,” he explains. “Coming out on the other side of this and having an immense feeling of gratitude is a pretty powerful thing.” The album is one of acceptance: a recognition that suffering and death are part of life, and a conviction that these things should not define our existence.

"Why sing about death when I almost died? Why sing about life when I’m still alive?"

You can buy Gray Lodge Wisdom right now via French label Talitres

Cette semaine est consacrée aux artistes dont je vous ai précédemment parlé et dont l’album est maintenant dans les bacs.

On commence avec Will Stratton qui a sorti le 28 avril dernier Gray Lodge Wisdom. Un petit bijou de folk comprenant 8 titres qui ne peuvent que rappeler l'oeuvre de Nick Drake…

A écouter d’urgence :)

Was hat dieser Mann durchgemacht. Nach seiner ersten Europatour mit Paleo im Frühjahr 2012 wurde bei ihm Krebs im fortgeschrittenen Stadium diagnostiziert. Darauf folgte eine Leidenszeit von fast einem Jahr, in der sich Will mehreren Chemotherapien und Operationen unterziehen musste. Mit starkem Willen und aus Überzeugung, dass das Leben weitergeht, hat er den Krebs besiegt. Sein Tatendrang war ohnehin ungebrochen. Wenn es ihm mal besser ging, schrieb er gleich neue Songs.

Und so ist die Grundlage für das inzwischen fünfte Studioalbum entstanden. Gray Lodge Wisdom erscheint offiziell am 29. April. In Europa kommt es über das französische Label Talitres in Bordeaux. Auf Bandcamp gibt’s jetzt den namensgebenden Album-Opener zu hören, in der Will von der wunderbaren Tamara Lindemann (The Weather Station) unterstützt wird.

Gray Lodge Wisdom by Will Stratton

Vor zwei Wochen hat er den letzten Song enthüllt, "Fate Song", der explizit vom Kampf gegen Krebs handelt.

Gray Lodge Wisdom by Will Stratton

Im Mai und Juni kommt er für ein paar Shows nach Europa. Termine gibt's dann auch hier.

"Musically, Stratton is a little bit Americana, a little bit folk, and on tracks such as “Do You Love Where You Live?”, a lot bit Nick Drake. While his sound is, as I said, quiet and solemn, it is also complex, with layers of strings over his skillful guitar. It’s the perfect blend of solid musicianship, thoughtful lyrics, and the perfect, most appropriate atmosphere."