Sam Amidon / From the Salt River Album (2025)

Credits: Director – Allyn Quigley / Producers – Aisling Malone & Lorraine Higgins / Cinematographer – Colm Hogan / Focus Puller/Steadicam – Roman Bugovskiy / Production Designer – Noelle Slacke / Hair & Makeup Artist – Grace McClair / Production Assistant – Evan Smee / Featuring Sam Amidon / The Armagh Rhymers / Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin

“Sometimes he reminds me of those traditional folk singers tracked down by music researchers in remote villages—vocalists who sing with a purity and directness and conversational delivery that only those who have never known a microphone can muster. Yet at other times, Amidon sounds like a folk singer from the future, mixing tones and tensions in some experimental lab for which only he has the key. The crazy thing is that he manages to do these two incompatible things at the same time—most recently on his new album Salt River (produced by Sam Gendel, who has earned my praise in the past). Yes, Amidon is the folk singer from the future who is also the folk singer from the past—that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” Ted Gioia

In our fast-changing world today, many people might be “on their way home.” Wherever this is located in all of the quick changing world of the present. Behind much of the first days of the new administration, it seems to me is the element of speed. The administration wants to bring “efficiency” to DC. And, certainly a key element of efficiency is speed of performance. Speed of change.

The above song from Sam Amidon, from a famous folklore family in America, seems directed at both sides of the political spectrum. In all the increasing speed of change, many today might feel the need for a “journey home.”