Phil Cook: Appalachia Borealis

For Phil Cook, it all started with piano. A prolific songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, solo artist, and in-demand musician whose collaborations have run the gamut of genre—as a founding member of beloved band Megafaun to work with The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bon Iver, Kanye West, and Hiss Golden Messenger, to name a few—Cook has always been a musician’s musician. A sweet and affable presence whose musical dexterity elevates every project he touches, Cook’s musical output and true sound has been hard to pin down. Phil performs from his stunning new album, Appalachia Borealis—a deeply personal and profoundly poignant suite of compositions that captures the emotional range of a full and open existence—chronicling a path of endurance and a way forward. Largely inspired by bird songs, Appalachia Borealis features Phil on the piano, the “foremost love of his musical life”.