Sam Amidon – Salt River

Traditional folk songs are often regarded as artefacts that allow us to peer into the past. However, there’s an argument to be made that attempts to preserve these songs in their original form are destroying the oral tradition that gave them life. Thankfully, Sam Amidon understands that nothing about culture is static. Created with saxophonist and producer Sam Gendel, Salt River blurs the boundary between tradition and modernity.

From Appalachian folk song Golden Willow Tree to shape-note tunes like I'm On My Journey Home, Amidon preserves the melodic integrity of his source material while allowing foreign tones and textures to seep in. He also applies this approach to contemporary tracks. Big Sky is unrecognisable from the fist-pumping anthem that closes Lou Reed’s 2000 album Ecstasy, while Yoko Ono’s Ask the Elephant is transformed into something akin to a lullaby you might hear at baby yoga.

In recent years, folk revival groups like Lankum and Shovel Dance Collective have won plaudits for reinterpreting songs that demonstrate how the issues that plague us now echo those of the past. However, Amidon’s playful approach suggests that, while history might repeat, maybe we’re not doomed to make the same mistakes.

Listen to: Big Sky, I’m On My Journey Home, Tavern