Part I: Joni Mitchell
This article is the first in an ongoing series about the history of women in folk music. I have chosen to divide the several figures I intend to write about over the course of several posts to best control the length of each entry, as well as to provide myself with enough time to conduct an appropriate amount of research and planning for each figure. It will be updated on a weekly basis, so look out for my name and the next entry for this subject!
Indie Folk is on the rise, with Adrienne Lenker and her band Big Thief as its poster-children. You might be unfamiliar with the name; however, the tracks "anything" and "not a lot, just forever" from her 2020 record Songs and Instrumentals have become vastly popular on Tiktok and Instagram Reels, particularly in use with the "thought-daughter" trend.
"Standing in the yard, dressed like a kid; the house is white and the lawn is dead." Lenker, Adrienne. "half-return." Songs and Instrumentals, 4AD, 2020, track 6.
Is this ringing a bell, or, rather, plucking an acoustic string?
A huge fan of both Big Thief and Adrienne Lenker myself, I have been elated to see their music, often experimental and stripped-back, be so widely received among audiences young and old. Her vocals are, without a doubt, unconventional, and the high key that she sings in adds to the otherworldly -- not necessarily angelic; her unsettling lyrics make sure of that -- feel it evokes in its listeners.
More than just a lyrical poet and skillful guitarist, titles she has earned on and on again, Lenker is set apart from others in her genre as she brings into discussion topics concerning her gender identity and sexuality; frankly, a feat never before seen in the often man's-world that is the folk scene.
Some examples of Lenker both triumphing her femininity, while also embracing androgyny and challenging gender roles:
"There's a woman inside of me; there's one inside of you, too." Lenker, Adrienne. "Pretty Things." Capacity, Saddle Creek Records, 2017, track 1.
"I wanted to be your woman, I wanted to be your man." Lenker, Adrienne. "Vampire Empire." Vampire Empire/Born For Loving You, Dom Monks, 2023, track 1.
"And your dearest fantasy is to grow a baby in me. I could be a good mother, and I wanna be your wife." Lenker, Adrienne. "not a lot, just forever." Songs and Instrumentals, 4AD, 2020, track 9.
By including such lyrics as these in her masterpieces, Lenker evokes the memory of the women that preceded her in folk music, and pays homage to their contributions. To continue to spread the legacy of individualistic, daring voices in music, it is right to educate and honor its pioneering figures.
Bernstein, Joel. "A backstage shot of Joni." Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975)
1. Joni Mitchell (1943-present)
A personal favorite of my own, Joni Mitchell revolutionized folk music with her use of the Appalachian mountain dulcimer on her record Blue, thus popularizing the instrument (though, not the first; Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones used dulcimer on their track "Lady Jane". However, both figures were undoubtedly inspired by Jean Richie, more on her later).
Her level of technical skill, a trait often downplayed by male peers within creative circles, was made evident as she introduced alternate tuning to her acoustic guitar; this unconventional choice was due to partial paralysis in her left hand from contracting polio in her youth (a side note: folk singers Donovan and Judy Collins both suffered from the same illness in childhood). These open tunings revolutionized folk music and brought it into the mainstream, confounding genres as elements of jazz and even Celtic influence were incorporated into her folk background on records like Court and Spark.
One can picture Mitchell as the Taylor Swift of the 1970's; a house-hold name because of her love affairs with notable men in the music industry. These include, but are not limited to: both David Crosby and Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Leonard Cohen, the singer-songwriter of the well-known, widely covered melody "Hallelujah"; and revered bassist Jaco Pastorius. How is that for a long list of ex-lovers?
These numerous accolades all fade in comparison to one specific trait that illuminates the legend of Joni Mitchell in my own heart, and, I hope, in the young women that will receive her message through its exposure in this article: this is, her masterful way with words, especially in regards to love and heartbreak.
Her many love affairs came with a cost, understandably. Mitchell captures the poignancy of rejection, loneliness, and disappointment in many of her tracks.
"I remember that time you told me — you said — 'love is touching souls.' Surely you touched mine 'cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time." Mitchell, Joni. "A Case of You." Blue, Reprise Records, 1971, track 9.
Mitchell's lyricism in "A Case of You" situates the listener intimately within the context of her relationship; one feels the recency of its failure and the genuineness of their connection as she incorporates dialogue. In a candid moment, she reflects upon how being with someone, even after they have gone, changes a person.
"I've looked at love from both sides now, from give and take, and still, somehow, it's love's illusions I recall. I really don't know love at all." Mitchell, Joni. "Both Sides Now." Clouds, Reprise Records, 1969, track 10.
As a whole, "Both Sides Now" evaluates the dichotomy of all parts of life: the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. In this excerpt, she looks back upon how the imaginary world she had built around the concept of love feigned in comparison to its more harsh reality.
Mitchell's crafted choice to write her own lyrics, detailing her own experiences with both well-known figures as well as other "hot" topics -- in Little Green, she discusses her decision to give up her daughter for adoption, an obviously controversial issue in 1966 -- cleared a way for female singer-songwriters like Lenker and contemporaries to demonstrate their capabilities in the field of music and art as a whole. By constructing her own side of stories, she provided the public with the point of view of a woman and her troubles, unabashedly including raw emotion and honesty within her lines.
Attached is a self-curated playlist, containing the most well-revered tracks from each figure that will be mentioned over the next several articles, along with some lesser-known contributors. I urge you to find yourself within their voices and in their struggles, with as much pleasure as I have had in the drafting of this post.
If you are interested in reading more creative work by yours truly, I run an independent blog by the name of Byway Vignettes, accessible here.
Anna Martin
Contributor to Project Invisible String; writer at Byway Vignettes.
July 2, 2024
love this SO MUCH! keep writing!