music
Will Oldham is a rare figure in American roots music. After several years using different pseudonyms, he finally emerged as Bonnie “Prince” Billy in the late 1990s. An alter ego that is as much cowboy as it is punk, he became known for I See a Darkness (1999), an album that balances the fragility and haunting qualities of folk and country with a more experimental and sombre side from previous projects. When Johnny Cash was recording the third chapter of the American Recordings series (2000), he chose the song of the same name from this work as one of those he would perform. Will was then called to Los Angeles for a duet with Cash, where he ended up meeting and befriending musician and producer David “Ferg” Ferguson.
Now in 2025, Bonnie “Prince” Billy has a long and highly acclaimed career, full of solo work and notable collaborations with Bill Callahan, Matt Sweeney, Tortoise and even Björk. The Purple Bird (2025) is his thirtieth and most recent work, and the first in which he hands over production to someone else: Ferg, the friend he met 25 years ago, in the shadow of a giant. Recorded in Nashville, The Purple Bird places Bonnie in a timeless country universe. Praised by The Guardian, Uncut and Pitchfork, it has been described as one of the most cohesive and emotionally resonant works in his discography.
In the autumn, accompanied by Thomas Deakin (on guitar, vocals, clarinet and trumpet), Bonnie “Prince” Billy will embark on a European tour, with a stop in Braga.
apoios república portuguesa – cultura / direção-geral das artes. rtcp – rede de teatros e cineteatros portugueses.
