Back in 2018 we wrote about Among Horses III, a collaborative album between Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover organised by Barcelona label Son Canciones. The release was part of an ongoing series that pairs songwriters and packs them off to rural Spain, the artists spending a week together on an organic farm. In a novel environment with no distractions, the pair work on an EP in whichever way they see fit, and the project not only leads to some great music but also an invaluable insight into the modes and possibilities of artistic collaboration.
Among Horses V saw the turn of Tuscon’s Karima Walker and Nashville-based Katy Kirby to visit the farm. The pairing promises to be an interesting one, as the experimental sensibilities of Walker seem the perfect foil for Kirby’s nuanced folk, and the work of both artists holds some timeless quality that can only thrive in the remote setting.
So far we only have one track to go on, the release’s opener ‘Right By You’. Written on the first night at the farm, Kirby and Walker meeting just hours before, the song taps into the inherent transience of things, finding the small kernels of constant loss within even the newest beginnings. But rather then emerge with cynicism or dejection, the pair channel this knowledge into something altogether more sincere, finding warmth and sadness in the passing of time, and meaning in the mystery of not knowing when the ending shall come.
Two days in already starting to die
tried every window, full and partial sunlight
tried to read the leaves, are you a cactus or a tree
do you need a little desert, would you rather it be rainingI just wanna do right by you
Show me how to
tell me what you need
you’re a mystery, I am too
I just wanna do right you