In 2018, L.A. folk artist James Houlahan found himself on the road playing shows to a deeply divided America. Social and environmental issues had created rifts that stretched nationwide, so he began writing new material to reflect this. The resulting album, Ordinary Eye (out Nov. 20), doesn’t offer quick fixes to encroaching authoritarianism or the climate crisis, but it’s a heartfelt, often gorgeous mediation—the soundtrack to a world in tumult.
The record was produced by Fernando Perdomo (Jakob Dylan, Echo in the Canyon) and features drummer Danny Frankel (Lou Reed, Fiona Apple) as well as violinist Scarlet Rivera, who played the unforgettable fiddle parts on Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire, most memorably on “Hurricane.”
Vents had a chance to catch up with Houlahan who took some time to offer insights into the recording of the album, the writing process and the strange experiences that led to its creation.