Trusting the Band Chaos with Hen Ogledd
Hen Ogledd's four members trace how a shared songwriting chaos, competing disciplines, and vocals in Welsh and Scots came together on their latest album, 'Discombobulated.'
Big Ears
An Honest Voice — Eliana Glass on Spontaneity, Technique, and Nina Simone
Around the release of 'E at Home,' Eliana Glass reflects on the limits of technique, setting aside her jazz training, and Nina Simone's case for making someone else's song completely your own.
Tom Skinner's Silhouette Music
The drummer behind Sons of Kemet and The Smile brought his acoustic ensemble to Big Ears, where he discussed 'Kaleidoscopic Visions,' the intentional instrumentation that gives it depth, and the community that makes his music possible.
DoYeon Kim and the Lives of the Gayageum
Korean gayageum player DoYeon Kim discusses how her apprenticeship in traditional music led her to improvisation, her instrument-damaging technique, and why she occasionally screams at her audience.
Servants of Music — The Folk Theater of YAGÓDY
Ukrainian folk ensemble YAGÓDY discuss songs handed down across generations, lyrics using invented phonetic samples, and the theatrical instincts behind their performance at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville.
Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore — "Come Join Us Here in the Future"
Barwick and Lattimore discuss 'Tragic Magic', a debut collaboration recorded on vintage instruments from the Musée de la Musique, the guilt and gratitude of leaving a burning city for Paris, and a shared dream of one day playing in James Turrell's Roden Crater.
The Tonearm's Guide to Big Ears 2026
The 2026 edition of the Big Ears Festival commences this Thursday, March 27. Here are our suggestions for the artists you should check out once the music kicks off in downtown Knoxville.