Every Generation: Inheriting Traditions Through American Folk Music

In “Every Generation,” we embark on a journey of self-discovery that’s deeply rooted in American folk traditions. We explore our hometowns, our families, our choices, and the music that shapes us. It’s a beautiful exploration of the things we inherit and how they shape our lives.

As for myself, I come from a family of immigrants and wanderers. My father, a musician from Liverpool, spent his youth making music, struggling with his complicated relationship with his hometown and our family. Eventually, he left for America to start his own family.

When I moved back to Liverpool three years ago, I settled in just two streets over from the recording studio where my parents met. I hoped that singing songs in the same bars where my father cut his teeth would help me find a part of myself that had always eluded me.

But fate had other plans. As my father battled cancer, I had the opportunity to get to know him through his home. It was a strange experience, but it helped me see more of myself in his choices than I ever expected. Grieving him in the graveyard of his youth taught me that our lives are built into our bones. We inherit the good and the bad, and we’re all born with a certain way about us.

Every generation makes mistakes, for better or for worse. But when I miss my father, this town, this music, and everything he passed down to me in my blood is the biggest comfort in the world. It’s a reminder that we’re all connected, and that our shared experiences, both good and bad, are what make us who we are.

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