Photo: Shannon Marks

With his much anticipated new album Yowzers arriving in three weeks, and following the powerful and poignant title track, the inimitable Ben LaMar Gay has unveiled a second stirring track, offering another glimpse into what might be one of our favourite albums of the year. Titled ‘John, John Henry’, the new track finds the Chicago-born composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and storyteller reimagining a cornerstone of American folklore with profound emotional and political resonance. ‘John, John Henry’ is his interpretation of the American folk myth ‘The Ballad of John Henry’, a late 1800s song previously performed by the likes of Lead Belly, Dave Van Ronk, Songs: Ohia, and Rhiannon Giddens. Speaking about it, Gay shares:

“The intriguing thing about folklore is how it allows you to experience the depth of time, and the beauty of spreading information by word of mouth… The fact that only certain folk songs survive the test of time makes me wonder about the coded gems that live inside this information and the necessity of the eternal whisper in which it travels. I was young the first time I heard the name, “John Henry.” It was blasting from a cartoon on T.V. “JJJJohnnn Henryyyy!” echoed through the house and stayed. My experience with the legend up to now has been similar to playing telephone, the game where people form a circle to relay a quiet whisper of a message sent from another side of the circle. My version of the John Henry legend is me dealing with the moment when that eternal whisper finally finds my ear, inside the circle. “John, John Henry” can be heard as an extension of the perpetual theme “Man vs Machine” or “Man vs System”. One American moment. One American crossfire. It’s also an ode to the big cousin we all have who somehow believes in us and vows to protect us.”

If these first two singles are anything to go by, we’re in for an absolute treat. Take a listen to ‘John, John Henry’ now.

Yowzers is out on June 6th through International Anthem