Growing up in a musical household in the heart of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, Bonnie Paine and her sisters first learned music by playing drums. At ten, she picked up the guitar, opening the door to a lifelong musical journey. When she was 14, an astrologer predicted she would become a professional musician. For a painfully shy teenager whose anxiety made it difficult even to answer "here" during roll call at school, the prediction seemed almost laughable.
But in 2006, the prophecy began to come true when Paine co-founded the Colorado-based folk ensemble Elephant Revival. Blending folk, bluegrass, Celtic, and world music influences, the band quickly developed a devoted following. Still performing together today, Elephant Revival has released a string of acclaimed albums and earned widespread recognition for its distinctive sound and musicianship.
Elephant Revival with a live version of Drop
Elephant Revival with a live version of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit
Paine just released Unseen, her first solo album that showcases her unmistakable warbling voice in a collection of songs that weave together Celtic influences, Indigenous percussion, and both acoustic and electric strings. In addition to singing, she contributes cello and the musical saw, adding to the record's atmospheric sound.
Among the album's highlights is Lighthouse, featuring sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia. The song opens with handclaps and Indigenous percussion before gradually unfolding into a chamber-like arrangement of tuba, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, and violin. On the title track, Paine is joined by the Father Time Drumline, whose thunderous rhythms provide a powerful contrast to her gentle, melodic vocals.
Bonnie Paine & Father Time Drumline - Unseen
Bonnie Paine performs Rogue River - an Elephant Revival song - live on E-Town
Unseen was recorded at three different studios and produced by Paine alongside T Bone Burnett, Tucker Martine—whose credits include Fruition and The Decemberists—and fellow Coloradan Gregory Alan Isakov. Although Paine had been planning a solo album for years, Isakov provided its unofficial starting point. After hearing a new song she was developing, he encouraged her to get into the studio, where they immediately recorded Fend for not Fight.
Another track, Phantoms in the Station, has an even longer history. More than a decade ago, T Bone Burnett shared an article with Elephant Revival about the upheaval facing musicians in the age of streaming and social media, asking the band to write a song inspired by it. That idea eventually found its home on Unseen, where it feels as timely now as it did then.
With her first solo release, Bonnie Paine steps confidently beyond the legacy of Elephant Revival while remaining true to the musical traditions that shaped her. Whether you know Paine from Elephant Revival or are discovering her through contemporary folk or Indigenous-inspired music, Unseen is worth a close listen.
We'll be sharing it for the next several weeks on Open Air - weekdays 9am-3pm on JPR's Rhythm and News Service.
