Written in a cabin in the unruffled woods of Wisconsin (a For Emma, Forever Ago-esque setup), Sera Cahoone’s “Baker Lake” dips solemnly into melancholia and then swells with poised hopefulness. The track, which we’re premiering here today, is from Cahoone’s forthcoming EP, The Flora String Sessions, a collection of reissued fan favorites from her sprawling repertoire.
“Baker Lake” originally appeared on Cahoone’s Sup Pop debut album, 2008’s Only As The Day Is Long, and it’s a stunning and intimate piece, a letter to a lover that nods to deep pain and ambivalence yet is confident that redemption is still within the bounds of possibility. Cahoone’s emotion is palpable in the track as she sings over a dazzling string trio of violin, viola, and cello, conducted by Alex Guy.
Cahoone described the track as one of her favorites in her own repetoire:
“I wrote Baker Lake in a little cabin in Spooner, Wisconsin. One of my favorite places to go and one of my favorite songs I have ever written. The cabin is on tiny lake called Baker Lake in the middle of the woods. There are no humans around but plenty of wildlife. The song is about a relationship breaking but not giving up because there is still so much love and possibility. Hearing what Alex Guy composed for the song just blew me away. The strings were able to convey the song’s sadness and also the hope in a way I didn’t know was possible.”
Listen to “Baker Lake” below and look for Cahoone’s new EP which will be self-released 4/20.
Cahoone will also be briefly touring this spring after the EP is released, and is scheduled to perform at Oregon’s Pickathon festival this summer — check out those dates below.
4/13 — Portland, OR @ The Old Church
4/20 — Seattle, WA @ Nordstrom Recital Hall
4/21 — Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theatre
4/22 — Cottage Grove, OR @ Axe and Fiddle
4/25 — Morro Bay, CA@/ Siren, w/ Mipso
4/26 — Santa Cruz, CA @ The Atrium, w/ Mipso
4/27 — Berkeley, CA @ Freight and Salvage, w/ Mipso
4/28 — Winters, CA @ Palms Playhouse, w/ Mipso
4/29 — Petaluma, CA @ Mystic Theatre, w/ Mipso
8/3-5 — Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Music Festival
