He has covered songs by Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish and country music legend Merle Haggard, undertaken sporadic acting roles (from his early role in 1987’s Matewan, to 2023’s motorcycle drama The Bikeriders, via Kelly Reichardt’s 2006 road movie Old Joy), and was responsible for the cover photograph for cult post-rock band Slint’s seminal 1991 album Spiderland.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on his new album: ‘I wait for something to not feel right’ Laura Barton talks to Will Oldham about recording with some of his heroes, how he writes for his alter ego, and why a song about gun deaths made his legs turn to jelly.
Early on in the recording of his 22nd studio album, The Purple Bird, Will Oldham – the artist frequently known as Bonnie “Prince” Billy, received some advice from his producer, David “Ferg” Ferguson.
Across more than three decades he has duetted with Johnny Cash, written for Candi Staton and John Legend, and appeared in a Kanye West video.
A haunted loon-call that has carried the peculiarity of his songs with a kind of majesty, and established him as a singular cultural figure.
