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Django Haskins of The Old Ceremony
Manage episode 452303102 series 2849595
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Formed in 2004 The Old Ceremony has survived longer than many marriages. They’ve
reinvented themselves again and again, beginning as an eleven-piece mini-orchestra, slimming
down to a five-piece touring machine (guitar, bass, drums, vibraphone/keys, violin), and now –
in their 20th year together – creating a fresh, energized record that incorporates the visceral
(“Valerie Solanas”), the meditative (“North American Grain”), the philosophical (“Too Big To
Fail”), and a nod back to their noir-ish beginnings (“Lonely Mayor”). Songwriter and
vocalist/guitarist Django Haskins’ gift for incisive, colorful lyrics and melodies is on full display
throughout, whether it be an unhinged first-person tale of shooting Andy Warhol or the
melancholy last act of a long-closeted politician. He writes with empathy and precision that
occasionally calls to mind the source of the band’s name, Leonard Cohen, among others.
In fact, the songs contained in Earthbound are culled from the 115 new songs Haskins penned
during the pandemic. When tossed into the well-seasoned cauldron of the band’s collective
musical voices, they transform from one person’s songs into something else: the sound of a band
that has created together for two decades, through highs and lows, busy years of touring and slow
years of child-rearing and mask wearing.
The Old Ceremony has seen their share of highlights: sharing bills with the Jayhawks, CAKE,
Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mountain Goats, Chuck Berry, Giant Sand, and many more; touring the
U.S., Canada, and Europe; building their stature in the fertile Chapel Hill/Durham scene one
cinematic performance at a time. Meanwhile band leader Django Haskins in addition to
participating in the Big Star tribute tours, co-wrote and recorded an album of Folk-Rock
originals with the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris under the name “Au Pair.” Earthbound is destined to
be another highlight to add to the list, a musical recommitment ceremony among five musicians
who share a life in song.
The Old Ceremony's info
www.facebook.com/theoldceremony
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