Big Thief has had a big 2017. The Brooklyn quartet released its sophomore album "Capacity" to widespread acclaim. And last month, NPR Music selected the band for its new Slingshot feature for up-and-coming artists.
Big Thief came through Denver last week for a sold out show at Globe Hall, so we asked the band to curate a Guest DJ playlist for us. Drummer James Krivchenia picked 13 songs, with genres ranging from classical to hip hop, to give some insight on the music that fuels the band's story-driven Americana rock.
Listen to the songs and read the interview with Krivchenia below. And follow us on Spotify for more curated playlists from CPR's OpenAir.
Who has influenced the band musically?
James Krivchenia: "Neil Young is a huge one for me. We all come from different musical backgrounds so have lots of different influences. Joni [Mitchell] is someone we all love and learn from."
You've been on the road a lot touring for the album, what have you been listening to when passing time on the road?
"Lots of Julianna Barwick. Lots of Pauline Oliveros."
You've toured with a lot of cool artists, ranging from Conor Oberst to Belle & Sebastian. Could you share an anecdote about meeting one of these artists?
"We recently played shows with the band Little Wings, who are heroes of ours. I don't have a specific anecdote other than it was very inspiring to be around such kind curious souls. We learned a lot from watching them every night for a few weeks."
The songs on "Capacity" are like life lessons that revisit past events. What inspired these stories?
"There's so much that goes into each song. So many layers it's hard to get into, and we like to leave room for people to put their own story and meaning into it."
