For a decade (encompassing five well-received albums), Horse Feathers were known for delicately gorgeous acoustic folk songs, often dressed up with orchestral arrangements and anchored by frontman Justin Ringleās cerebral lyrics. But on 2014ās So It Is with Us, the Portland-born institution started prudently exploring new sounds, tempos, and textures.
That exploration blooms in full on the bandās new record, Appreciation, released earlier this month via Kill Rock Stars, which finds Ringle, longtime violinist Nathan Crockett, and a new rhythm sectionāmulti-instrumentalist J. Tom Hnatow and drummer Robby Cosenza, both Lexington, Kentucky-based session musiciansāripping through country-rockers, stirring soul jams, 1970s-inspired pop, and gentle Southern boogie. These arenāt necessarily twang-punk scorchers, but they also arenāt reflective of the old Horse Feathers.
āIn the past, I was always so afraid of going into these areas that perhaps could be really polarizing to our fan base,ā Ringle says. āI got to this point where I was like, āI think Iāve scratched [the folk] itch. Iāve satisfied it.ā I couldāve continued to wear a deeper rut into that path, but I was like, āI gotta do something different.āā
Ringleās musical restlessness wasnāt the only impetus for growth. In fact, a perfect storm of change seemed to descend on Horse Feathers. First, Portland started to transform from the mid-2000s nirvana that welcomed Ringle into a post-Portlandia caricature.
āThis place that I love got unceremoniously overrun and a culture that I knew and a community that I knew just disappeared,ā he says. āI felt like I wasnāt at home in the place that was my home.ā
So Ringle relocated to Astoria, and soon after moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he produced a record for the band River Whyless and soaked up the Southās ample supply of bluegrass, roots, and soul music. Around the same time, Ringle was adjusting to the realities of streaming platforms and the ephemeral nature of music these days.
āFor years, the sequence was important,ā he says. āThen all of a sudden, youāre in an industry where it doesnāt matter anymore. As an artist, that becomes an identity crisis.ā
Finally, Ringle found himself questioning his place in the contemporary music scene. His strengthāacoustic folk musicāno longer felt timely: āIām a white guy playing guitar,ā he says. āItās not an under-represented demographic in the music world. Iām aware of it. Iām not crying about it, Iām just saying that this isnāt really my time. I feel like thereās other... voices out there, that this is their time.ā
In other words, the universe gave Ringle an opportunity to do something new. He didnāt just recognize that, he embraced it.
āFor a long time it was like, āSure, I like Nick Drake a lot. I like Pentangle.ā But at the same time, I really like Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones, too,ā he says. āI just wanted to put out an offering that had more dimensions.ā
Same goes for the live Horse Feathers experience. After 13 years of playing some of Portlandās prettiest shows, Ringle has brought change to the stage as well. āItās got movement now,ā he says with a laugh. āItās not a āsit down and drink teaā affair anymore.ā