''Walnut Whales'' is the self-distributed debut
EP by American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Northern California, Newsom was classically trained on the harp in her youth and began her musical career as a keyboardist in the San Francisc ...
. It was released in 2002
and sold in limited numbers in
CD-R format.
All tracks on the record, except for "Erin", "Flying a Kite", and "The Fray", were later re-recorded, the re-recorded versions being released on Newsom's debut studio album ''
The Milk-Eyed Mender'' (2004), with minor lyrical changes.
The EP has been described as
indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation.
The genre has its ...
,
contemporary folk
Contemporary folk music refers to a wide variety of genres that emerged in the mid 20th century and afterwards which were associated with traditional folk music. Starting in the mid-20th century a new form of popular folk music evolved from tradit ...
,
and
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
.
The title of the EP was inspired by the 1975 children's book "Snips and Snails and Walnut Whales: Nature Crafts for Children" by Phyllis Fiarotta.
Background
''Walnut Whales'' was initially not intended for public distribution, but at the suggestion of
Noah Georgeson, Newsom's then-boyfriend as well as co-producer and recording engineer of the EP,
she burned several copies to sell at her early performances. Newsom's friend and bandmate in
Golden Shoulders
Golden Shoulders is a band from Nevada City, California. Formed in 2001 by songwriter Adam Kline, the group operates with a rotating lineup and has featured significant contributions from such notables as Joanna Newsom (who sang and played piano o ...
, Adam Kline, gave one of her CDs to singer-songwriter
Will Oldham at a show in
Nevada City. Oldham was impressed with Newsom's music and asked her to tour with him. Kline also gave a copy of the record to the owner of his record label,
Drag City. Drag City signed Newsom and released her debut studio album ''The Milk-Eyed Mender'' in 2004.
Discussing the record, Newsom stated that "The very first ''Walnut Whales'' recording was recorded just a few weeks after I had started singing, out of the blue, started singing. And the voice, you can hear how uncomfortable I am with it, and how terrified I am with it."
Track listing
References
Joanna Newsom albums
2002 debut EPs
Self-released EPs
{{2000s-folk-album-stub