Bonny Light Horseman release ‘When I Was Younger’ reminiscing of days past following signing to Jagjaguwar
Bonny Light Horseman image via Jay Sansone
The debut release on Jagjaguwar marks a poignant musical chapter.
Bonny Light Horseman, the compelling trio comprising Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman, has released their debut single for Jagjaguwar titled ‘When I Was Younger.’ This poignant and cathartic track is accompanied by a heartfelt announcement of a headlining U.S. tour, including two nights at NYC’s Music Hall of Williamsburg, and summer festival performances at Bonnaroo Music & Arts, Red Wing Roots, among others.
Produced by Kaufman and recorded at the Levis Corner House in Ballydehob, County Cork, ‘When I Was Younger’ weaves a narrative exploring motherhood, maturation, and unspoken societal truths. The harmonious voices of Mitchell and Johnson intertwine, creating a visceral musical experience.
Reflecting on the song’s inspiration, the band shares:
“There’s a whole genre of trad songs with this ‘domestic frustration’ sentiment, like ‘Single Girl Married Girl,’ ‘Wish I Was A Single Girl Again,’ etc. This song is inspired by those, but we wanted to write it as a duet, to tell two sides of a story,” says the band. “We recorded it live, so you can hear coughing, cars, and the whole audience did that wordless wail with us in the middle. It felt like a primal collective shake-off. Next morning we were collecting our things from the pub and the owner Joe was out front in flip-flops sweeping up the cigs from the street singing, ‘When I was younger, I used to dress fancy…’”
The accompanying video, filmed on location by Jason Lee, Donal Scannell, and Colm Rooney, adds a visual dimension to the emotional depth of the track. The live recording captures the raw essence of the performance, complete with background sounds of the audience’s wordless wail, coughing, and passing cars.
‘When I Was Younger’ is out now.
Bonny Light Horseman Tour Dates:
June 11 – Norfolk, VA – Virginia Arts Festival
June 12 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart’s Opera House *
June 13 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall *
June 14 – Nashville, TN – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
June 15 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel *
June 16 – Washington, DC – Howard Theatre *
June 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
June 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg ^
June 20 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer *
June 21 – Mount Solon, VA – Red Wing Roots Festival
June 22 – Northampton, MA – Green River Music Festival
June 23 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair ^
August 10 – Lyons, CO – Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
* w/ Alpha Consumer
^ w/ Bridget St John
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