Field Report, S. Carey to release new albums
Among the many happy circumstances that flowed from Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago” was creating more awareness and opportunities for Wisconsin musicians in Justin Vernon’s orbit.
Two of those associated acts — S. Carey, the solo work of Eau Claire-based singer-songwriter Sean Carey; and Field Report, the Milwaukee folk act fronted by Christopher Porterfield — are both set to release their third full-length albums in the next few weeks.
Carey was studying classical percussion at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2007 when he heard Vernon’s debut Bon Iver album, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” shortly after Vernon posted it on his MySpace page. Carey learned the drum parts in two weeks, and has played percussion in Bon Iver since, but he’s also released his own warm, arty folk songs as S. Carey, with Jagjaguwar, the same indie label behind Bon Iver, releasing all of his albums.
“Hundred Acres,” S. Carey’s third full-length (out on Jagjaguwar Feb. 23) was recorded slowly across a couple of years at Vernon’s April Base studios in Falls Creek.
“The biggest focus for this record was the songwriting process, and making sure the songs were great before I worked on anything else,” Carey said. Because of its focus on guitar and vocals, Carey suggested the album is closer to “For Emma” than any of his other releases, sonically speaking.
“The themes are about trying to live a simpler life and doing the things you want to do with the people you love,” Carey said.
What Porterfield wanted to do for Field Report’s third full-length album, “Summertime Songs” (out March 23 on Universal subsidiary Verve Forecast Records), was to make an album “built for a space that I’m interested in occupying, which is larger rooms,” he said.
So with first single “Never Look Back,” and other tracks on the album, Field Report has moved into a pop direction — although the album still showcases Porterfield’s thoughtful, emotionally resonant lyrics. It was written and recorded at Wire & Vice studios in Milwaukee during the polarizing 2016 presidential campaign.
“I think there was a choice to try to not sabotage this project for the sake of some kind of oblique creative vanity,” said Porterfield, who played with Vernon in pre-Bon Iver band DeYarmond Edison. “On (sophomore album) ‘Marigolden’ a song called ‘Home’ got a little bit of radio play. When we’d go to a city that had a radio station playing that song, there were more people at those shows and more people engaged with the work, and that feels really good to get that energy back.”
Carey will perform in Bon Iver Feb. 17 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, for a special, sold-out “For Emma” 10th-anniversary concert. Field Report will open the show.
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