Son Volt at Thalia Hall

Photos and words by Steve Sym

In support of their latest release, Union, Son Volt performed at Thalia Hall in Chicago. The set consisted of twenty-three-songs, including six from Union, that touched on the band’s 25-year history.

Union is comprised of thirteen new songs, written by Son Volt founder Jay Farrar, that confront our turbulent political landscape and articulate the clarity and comfort music can offer. “There are so many forces driving our country apart,” observes Farrar. “What can we do to bring our society back together?”

Eight of the thirteen songs on Union were recorded at places associated with two figures in American history who Farrar says “made a difference”: Renowned American labor activist Mary Harris “Mother” Jones and quintessential American troubadour Woody Guthrie. Three songs were laid down at the Mother Jones Museum in Mount Olive, Illinois, while four others were recorded at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Be sure to catch Son Volt as they play throughout the U.S. in 2019.