Folk Americana singers Hiss Golden Messenger and Hannah Frances sang songs and shared stories about sobriety, grief and fate during a performance Wednesday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The proceeds went to Amethyst House, a non-profit organization providing drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation in Bloomington.
Before the show began, Amethyst House Officer John Batey said Amethyst House’s mission is to destigmatize and provide treatment for those with substance abuse disorders. Lead singer of Hiss Golden Messenger, M.C. Taylor, also spoke on the importance of this organization.
“I am very happy to be playing on behalf of Amethyst house, an incredible organization doing very important work, and I'm honored to be a part of it,” Taylor said.
The show kicked off with opener Hannah Frances, who entered the stage to excited applause. She performed “Bronwyn” as her first song.
Frances released her newest album, “Keeper of the Shepherd,” this year, which features a blend of emotional depth and indie influences. Between songs, Frances described the story behind her album and the content of the songs, including her barn in Vermont and her familial grief.
During her time on stage, Frances performed a mix of songs from her debut album, “My Heart is a Sea Bell,” her newest album and some unreleased songs from her album coming out next year.
Frances took a moment to recognize Hiss Golden Messenger for allowing her two-week leg of tour with them and said she was grateful for this experience, since her section of the tour is coming to a close.
“It’s been a true pleasure and inspiration to see [Taylor] every night, and it’s a privilege to play music in general and travel to do so,” Frances said.
After Frances exited the stage, there was an intermission for the stage to be reset with Hiss Golden Messenger’s setup, including a vase of flowers and an ethereal backdrop.
Once lead singer Taylor entered, he quickly went into his opening song “Hallelujah Anyhow.”
Taylor told a story about the impact Indiana had on the start of his music career and his debut album, “Bad Debt.” About 15 years ago, Taylor wanted to get 100 copies of a vinyl printed, so he went to LUNA music owner Todd Robinson in Indianapolis to do so. Taylor and sold the vinyls out of the trunk of his car.
“It was that shop that was the first place to sell ‘Bad Debt’ anywhere,” he said. “So, Todd, wherever you are, thank you.”
Taylor emphasized the heavy messages that “Bad Debt” carries. The themes of sobriety, grief, and faith can be hard for someone to listen to all-in-one sitting, which Taylor recognizes.
“The first couple nights that we were doing this tour, I got on stage and was just like ‘Oh my God. What are we doing?” Taylor said.
Connecting to the Amethyst House sponsor, Taylor sang “Super Blue (Two Days Clean),” a song about his sobriety.
Despite the dark themes of the album, Taylor said it was important to show his thought process of making the songs relate to current experiences.
“The energy we seem to be living with is if you can collectively hold the good stuff and bad stuff at the same time,” Taylor said. “You better be able to, because that’s how life is.”
For the rest of the show, Taylor performed more songs off “Bad Debt,” including “O Little Light,” “Straw Man Red Sun River Gold,” “Call Him Daylight” and others. After finishing his performance, Taylor thanked Frances for her contributions during this leg of the tour.
Hiss Golden Messenger and Hannah Frances can both be found on all music streaming services through their websites.
