PRETTIEST BLUE EP SET FOR RELEASE ON JULY 1
“The Early Mays are exceptional storytellers, singers and musicians who craft their songs with the utmost care and attention; they’re a joy to listen to.” - Folk Radio UK
Photo: Kristi Jan Hoover
LISTEN: “THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY FALL”
Today, Pittsburgh-based duo The Early Mays (Ellen Gozion and Emily Pinkerton) have released a newly-composed "old-time"murder ballad with “The Ballad Of Johnny Fall,” the haunting lead single from their forthcoming EP, Prettiest Blue, due out on July 1, 2022. Written and sung by Gozion with Pinkerton on banjo and vocals and Nicole Myers on cello, "they conjure up a melancholic opening that taps straight into the darkness of this ballad and the endless cycle of abuse,” said Folk Radio UK in their premiere. “Appalachian murder ballads give us insight into the long history of violence and misogyny against women. The suffering woman in this story decides to take matters into her own hands, but fate intervenes for her here.”
“A woman falls deeply in love when she is young, with a man whose eyes are the ‘prettiest blue,’” Gozion told Folk Radio UK “As the years wear on, he is consumed by alcohol; their love frays under his abuse. She resolves to escape her suffering by shooting her husband. But the very night she sits on the porch with her gun, he does not come home. Fate had intervened. He was taken down by a train as he walked along the railroad tracks,” she added. “You feel the tragedy of abuse, of death, and of a love–once beautiful and bright– that was extinguished by addiction.”
Somewhere on the border between old-time music and modern American songwriting, The Early Mays have built a band with harmonies that feel like home. It’s a partnership that has shared slow-burning, perfectly paired vocals for ten years—from NPR’s Mountain Stage to house concerts all over the mid-Atlantic.
“I think part of our aesthetic comes from being introspective people,” Gozion reflects, “We don’t have a flashy, fast sound, but if you let the music engulf you, there are lots of layers. Our songs give people a place to slow down.” “The Early Mays rehearsals are restorative for me,” adds Pinkerton. “The hours spent in Ellen’s living room, with coffee and dark chocolate, following the harmonies wherever they take us, laughing and just loving that exploration as much as we love singing for other people. I hope you can hear the joy of the process in Prettiest Blue.”
From the old-time music community, The Early Mays have absorbed the culture of deep listening that’s central to playing with sensitivity. “Revivalists like us–who didn’t live and breathe Appalachian music growing up–still learn and create by ear for the most part,” Pinkerton explains. “Being able to carry hours of tunes in my head was life-changing. And there is new meaning to uncover each time you return to a field recording or slowly build a relationship with a mentor.”
That practice of deep listening–and slow, careful craftsmanship–spills over into every Early Mays performance and production as they sculpt their warm, immersive sound. The past ten years have been a steady search for musical and spiritual sustenance: for themselves and for their listeners. “Prettiest Blue is about keeping your eyes trained on something brighter, even in the midst of sadness,” reflects Pinkerton. A decade of friendship is palpable in the co-arranged songs, as well as the dedication to craft and the sustained pursuit of a rich acoustic aesthetic. You may find yourself comfortably swaying in that neo-traditional space–somewhere between old-time and songwriter sensibilities–getting a glimpse of how much these songs have been cared for.
The Early Mays will celebrate the release with a show at SongSpace in Pittsburgh on June 25th. Click HERE for show information. Be sure to follow the band at the links below for the latest news.
Painting by Ron Donoughe