6/25/2023 0 Comments Phil cook all these yearsWhile living in the Virgin Islands, “Volunteers” from Heretofore helped reconnect me to North Carolina and served as a reminder me of the beauty of the place I had left. This same music became a vehicle to place. It was the last song we ever listened to together, and the whole album helped me reassemble all the pieces in his absence. After the tragic loss of a dear friend, listening to “The Longest Day” from Gather, Form & Fly on repeat felt like the only way to survive those first few, very raw days without him. This same music became a vehicle for grieving. Their version of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” embodies those little jubilant moments I’ll never forget. Most memorably, after a GAYNGS show at Cat’s Cradle, I walked across the street to a near-religious experience of Phil and Brad Cook, Justin Vernon, and the entire “gayng” hanging around The Station’s old stand up piano belting anthems from The Band. While at UNC, every chance I had, I sought out Phil Cook and whatever friends he was playing with. This same music became a vehicle for celebration. But I kept listening and in time, this music became the soundtrack of some of the most defining moments of my life, and it introduced me to a world filled with creativity, collaboration and possibility. Her experiences seemed so foreign, so impossible and I was way too afraid to envision these type of experiences for my own life. She and I grew up in a small town with what seemed like a dearth of creative opportunities, and I admired the path she’d carved for herself. She was on tour with his band Megafaun and snapping some photos along the way. Almost a decade ago, my friend Helena introduced me to the music of Durham-based Phil Cook.
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