Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

Phone interview by Brenda Bosma
Illustrations by Janna Klävers

In the context of the What Really Matters-Issue, back in December, an interview with Will Oldham – also known under his musical alias Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – was high on our wishlist. With his album just out at the time – simply titled ‘Bonnie “Prince” Billy’ – again he seemed to sift out the superfluousness with great ease. We felt he had a word to say on the topic. Immediately we ran into closed doors, though; Will Oldham is famously quiet. Then we got a mysterious email in our inbox: ‘So, we heard you’d like to speak to Bonnie?’ At precisely noon on a friday in November we called him at his house in Louisville, Kentucky and talked about what it is to be a human being trying to make a connection. Magic still happens sometimes.

Before we try to talk a bit about what it all boils down to in this transatlantic phone call, I’m curious to know what you see when you look to your left?

A lamp that I just turned on.

And to your right?

A spinning tower that holds hundreds of ethnographic recordings from all over the world, on compact disc.

And may I ask what you did yesterday?

That’s such a long time ago. Let me think. I ran in the morning, had a nice long fight with somebody, then I had an early lunch with my mother and the woman who cares for her, then I oversaw some maintenance, then I probably packed and shipped records. I know there was something in the evening, but I can’t remember what happened from 4.30pm on.

Maybe we can shift our attention to the album. In the song ‘Lessons from Stony’, as I take it, you tell of a life of fleeting encounters. I was curious to know who or what is ‘Stony’?

‘I haven’t gotten passed this idea that everybody is unknown or mysterious’

Stony is like an ignorant mentor, someone who acts and reacts. It’s the origin of an inner voice, but it comes from outside. Stony is like a stone that say you drop into a body of water, then the inner voice is everything that happens after that rock hits the water.

Making some ripples?

Hmm, sure. Or it bounces on the head of a fish.

But it actually goes deep inside the body?

Not if the body is only an inch and a half deep.

Hopefully it can land somewhere, though.

If it’s low tide.

Even if the beginning of the end has already been done, as you sing, what are some of the things you do to make it all more fun?

Bringing colour in and holding on to people tightly.

Could you give a general idea of what is important to you when interacting with people?

Mostly in a conversation I like to ask a lot of questions, ’cause that seems like such a nice opportunity.

When you ask questions, do you like to play with boundaries?

Well, two months ago I toured with Mount Eerie who performed with two female vocalists. After the show I would have this vocal exchange with one of the women, but it wasn’t like a conversation. Maybe you can compare it with wild animals or precocious children who are given sounds and vocabulary and who have an initial understanding of the meaning, but have a disregard for all the rules – like the grammar. So she and I seemed to get into these exchanges where we were wild animals – who knew the English language – like, wrestling.

That sounds like there was some magic in the room.

It was the hardest I’d laughed in a long time. It was also one of the first times I felt that I could utter the things I felt like uttering, because most of time I realise what I want to come out of my mouth would make no sense and would potentially alienate and/or offend people.

‘As a kid I would walk around at night and walk past people’s houses and I’d be dying to know what happened there – like if someone was folding clothes or eating a bowl of cornflakes, anything like that’

 

You found your mountain twin?

Yes.

That is wonderful.

It was.

Are you also interested in thoughts, feelings and actions?

As a kid I would walk around at night and walk past people’s houses and I’d be dying to know what happened there – like if someone was folding clothes or eating a bowl of cornflakes, anything like that. I haven’t gotten passed this idea that everybody is unknown or mysterious. When I have the opportunity I like the questions to be able to go deeper without making someone feel uncomfortable or violated.

American writer George Saunders said in a convocation speech that the one thing in life you should do is be kind. Would you agree?

Yes, I do. Sometimes it’s hard, though. Sometimes we have to overcome physical things.

Physical things?

Sometimes something boils inside of you. There are times when I have an interaction with people and something might happen and all of a sudden before my body reacts my brains says, ‘OH, NO!’ Then I know I need to not speak my mind, but recognise I’m having a physical reaction. I’m gonna assume Saunders doesn’t mean false kindness or suppressing other things in order to be kind. And that ‘kind’ doesn’t necessarily mean friendly or generous; it’s probably about being compassionate. I love the golden rule, which is more explicit than being kind or loving one another. The golden rule is do unto others as you would have others do unto you. There are times you or I identify a kindness as not what is called for. Sometimes anger is appropriate, so do you call anger kindness? You can, but it’s misleading to use the word kind there.

So, if you were to use anger unto someone you might get it back as a karmic boomerang?

Yes, but it might be a diffusing agent rather than the igniting agent. Like if someone is stepping on your foot, then anger is an appropriate reaction.

Apart from not being stepped on your foot, what really mattered in 2013?

Making this record was a really big deal. Rather than drowning in isolation, it’s trying to understand how that isolation can serve myself and others. Also in terms of re-establishing certain relationships with colleagues, as well as people in the audience. I feel there are certain kinds of experimentation, joy and forward motion that can make you feel as if the past or some of the darker places aren’t there, and I don’t know if that is necessarily comforting to an audience. Having the opportunity to put music forward that recognises other things… well, I feel saner and more confident having made this record than I think I did this time last year.

Have you heard R Kelly’s latest song, ‘Cookie’?

No.

He likes to lick the middle like an Oreo.

Nice. Is it on his newest Black Panties?

Yes. Maybe you should listen to it. It’s a classic Kellz gem.

I will definitely do that.

Will’s secretary emailed later that Will boogied to ‘Cookie’. Bonnie “Prince” Billy newest album ‘Singer’s Grave a Sea of Tongues’ is out 23 September on Drag City Records. He will perform at Le Guess Who? on 21 November.