How can songs about lost love, tragedy, and even murder be so beautiful? It’s a question Ryan Boldt of The Deep Dark Woods has spent some time pondering. He says, “When I’m not playing music, I’m listening to it, trying to find songs that make me feel an aching pain in my chest.”
“I’m a big fan of English and Irish folk music. I like American folk too, but it’s newer. With the British stuff, you can find songs that are 600 years old,” says Boldt. “There’s so much history, and these songs influenced me when I was growing up. A lot of the stuff I write now is based on traditional songs.”
From that love of folk music comes Broadside Ballads III, the third album in the series that explores these traditional songs. The first record was Boldt’s solo project, and Volumes II and III are The Deep Dark Woods albums. Over the years, the Canadian band has built a reputation as one of the country’s most enduring and skilled folk-roots groups.
Boldt researched the songs and listened to recordings before choosing the tracks for the album. “Some of these songs are so old that the recordings are old, too. It’s fun to renew them. I like older versions, but it’s nice to update them and make them a little more modern.”
Boldt is drawn to the emotional fullness of traditional folk music. “When a lot of these songs were written, there was so much death around people that it was a normal, everyday thing. The melodies were a way to mourn these things that have gone wrong. To sing a beautiful melody with a tragic story is very traditional.”
When asked to choose a track from the new album, Boldt says, “My favourite might be ‘Spanish Is The Loving Tongue.’ I think it’s my best vocal performance. I was very relaxed and had been playing that song for a long time. I was just practicing the song, but we ended up using the practice run.”
The Deep Dark Woods is made up of Ryan Boldt on vocals and guitar, Geoff Hilhorst on keys, and Evan Cheadle on guitar. They’re heading into the studio in July but might have some summer concert and festival dates to share soon, too. https://thedeepdarkwoods.com/
