Lonnie Holley: Keeping a Record of It
Lonnie Holley returns with an otherworldly journey of improvised sound—part sermon, part cosmic transmission, and entirely one-of-a-kind.
Following the acclaim of his debut Just Before Music, Birmingham, Alabama’s Lonnie Holley returned with Keeping a Record of It, a set of expansive, improvised songs recorded between 2006–2011. Guests include Cole Alexander of the Black Lips, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, and visual artist Lillian Blades. Holley’s raw, unfiltered approach to songwriting—layering improvisational keyboard lines with free-form lyrics—has drawn comparisons to Sun Ra, outsider folk, gospel preachers, and word-jazz poets, yet his music stands completely on its own.
What’s Included
- 7 tracks
- Guest appearances by Cole Alexander, Bradford Cox, and Lillian Blades
- View the complete tracklist here: [Insert hosted PDF link]
- Digital booklet featuring:
- Lyrics and Holley’s artwork
Praise & Reviews
“Last year, at 62, after decades of singing while he worked, Holley released his jarring debut album, Just Before Music, a marriage of improvised keys and the rambling, hollow bellow of his voice, as well as the first original recording put out by the archival folk label Dust-to-Digital. This year, he’ll tour, and he recently starred in a Whitney Museum group show, Blues for Smoke.”
— The Fader
“Lonnie Holley sings with an intense, emotional voice and unleashes lyrics without consistent meter or rhyme over gossamer keyboard lines that hang in the ether. His music is a blues nebula, splotched with riffy word jazz that shares in some rappers’ collagist aesthetics as well as the runaway passion of a gospel preacher enlivened by the Spirit.”
— Aquarium Drunkard
“Lonnie Holley certainly fits Dust-to-Digital’s continuum and mission of seeking out the overlooked and offering it a spotlight. It’s never too late to discover a treasure. Holley has been an art-world star for some time. Overlooked until now, his music doesn’t simply demand attention; his songs devour it.”
— Grayson Currin
