30 years ago, I wrote a folk album at the height of grunge. The post-grunge movement was just beginning, with artists like Boyz II Men, Madonna’s Take a Bow, and TLC… I had risked everything to make the album. I turned down a million-dollar advance because I knew it would put a bounty on my head if I didn’t sell enough albums to repay it. I wanted artistic freedom, so I bought it by refusing the record label’s money. And then I went on to fail. A lot. I could write a book about the rejections and the “shock jocks” who asked me, “How can you give a bj with those teeth?” I walked out of stations, told people to f off, and my label just shook their heads because I refused to eat 💩 The album failed for so long that I started making a second one. In the middle of recording, Bob Dylan asked me to tour with him. So I told the band I’d be back in the studio soon and went on the road with Bob. He believed in me. He watched my shows. He went over my lyrics with me. He invited me to sing with him. He told me to keep going with Pieces of You. So I did. Then Neil Young took me out on tour. He believed in me. He told me to keep going. So I did. And slowly, things began to take off. You guys connected with the music. You called radio stations for me and created a groundswell online. My fans and I are credited as being one of the first acts to harness the internet to break an album, forcing mainstream radio to pay attention. That little album—5,500 words—changed the course of my life forever. Thank you all.
30 years ago, I wrote a folk album at the height of grunge. The post-grunge movement was just beginning, with artists like Boyz II Men, Madonna’s Take a Bow, and TLC… I had risked everything to make the album. I turned down a million-dollar advance because I knew it would put a bounty on my head if I didn’t sell enough albums to repay it. I wanted artistic freedom, so I bought it by refusing the record label’s money. And then I went on to fail. A lot. I could write a book about the rejections and the “shock jocks” who asked me, “How can you give a bj with those teeth?” I walked out of stations, told people to f off, and my label just shook their heads because I refused to eat 💩 The album failed for so long that I started making a second one. In the middle of recording, Bob Dylan asked me to tour with him. So I told the band I’d be back in the studio soon and went on the road with Bob. He believed in me. He watched my shows. He went over my lyrics with me. He invited me to sing with him. He told me to keep going with Pieces of You. So I did. Then Neil Young took me out on tour. He believed in me. He told me to keep going. So I did. And slowly, things began to take off. You guys connected with the music. You called radio stations for me and created a groundswell online. My fans and I are credited as being one of the first acts to harness the internet to break an album, forcing mainstream radio to pay attention. That little album—5,500 words—changed the course of my life forever. Thank you all.
I get so homesick for Alaska … even after all these years of living down in the states … it feels so nourishing to come home and be with family and share the land that made me with Kase ..
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
A little glimpse into life lately. And no, the tat is not mine… a fan got Hands tattooed, and it’s absolutely stunning 🥹
#alaska #adventure #kilcher
30 years of Pieces of You! 🤍 Written in her teens, @jewel’s iconic debut album blends raw coffeehouse recordings with polished studio tracks—featuring timeless hits like You Were Meant for Me, which soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. From Foolish Games to Who Will Save Your Soul, this record has left a mark on so many hearts. What’s your favorite song or lyric that’s stayed with you through the years? Drop it in the comments! Listen now & shop the anniversary collection (incl. the 2-LP vinyl set) at the link in bio! #womeninmusic #womenshistorymonth♀️ #jewel
How songs evolve over the years. I wrote Foolish Games when I was 18, and was trying to evoke the same feelings as of one of my favorite @Leonardcohen songs The Famous Blue Raincoat, sung with the incredible Jenner Warrens. I was so taken by the moodiness and cinematic quality – and I wanted to see if I could write something that transported people in the same poetic manner- but with a little more vocal range. Originally it was written on guitar, and my label wanted me to see if I could make it a bit more polished sounding – and shorter – (it was even longer than the record version originally!) and so they had me worth with Charlotte Caffey of the @officialgogos. We worked to come up with the piano riff. When I recorded the song with Neil young’s band The Stray Gators and the legendary Ben Keith producing, I recall we had a a fiddle player who played a part, then because I wanted more strings- she actually re-tuned her fiddle to different registers to get the harmony part … Years later the song finally got its moment when the Batman Movie wanted it for the soundtrack. I wanted to update it a bit and recut it with Peter Collins – and I focused on a slightly more refined arrangement. For the video I chose @matthewrolstonstudio to direct. He had shot my first @rollingstone cover – and he would end up becoming a life long collaborator whom I adore to this day.
Show me another 75yo that charges this hard! My dad @atzkilcher is a legend for taking us out in this weather and he LOVES it. Growing up he and I always shared a love of music, but also of getting out , working with horses and cattle and being in big country… it’s special to still share it with him and see him going strong #alaska #adventure #outsoors
🐦 👩
Home sweet Homer #alaska #adventure #kilcher @atzlee @atzkilcher
Alaska is a big mood Grewingk Glacier
Alaska is a big mood Grewingk Glacier
Alaska is a big mood Grewingk Glacier
Alaska is a big mood Grewingk Glacier
Alaska is a big mood Grewingk Glacier
Alaska is a big mood Grewingk Glacier
🤤 would you try this? #alaska #adventure #food
I am saddened to hear of Fred Eversley’s passing. His work struck something in me from the moment I encountered it at @crystalbridgesmuseum—something spiritual, something still and grounding. It was an honor to include his 1985 Big Red Lens at the heart of The Portal. It captured the essence of what I hoped the experience could be: a meeting point of the inner world, the outer world, and the unseen. Fred’s creative vision has had a lasting impact on how I see and create, and will continue to be a guiding force in my work. Grateful for the light he brought into this world. Godspeed, Fred. Sharing this video from my narrative art walk at The Portal, where I reflect on The Lens.