Big Thief on Love, Politics, and Staying Together

"Forged in the crucible of loss, tension, and a cold New York winter, the trio's sixth record, Double Infinity, became rangy, loose, and eerily calming. Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia talk about how staying messy and honest is the only path forward. All bands endure some kind of loss. Sometimes it's personal, like the dissolution of a marriage; sometimes it's structural, like the departure of a member."

"From the outset, the cosmic-folk group resembled not only a band but an ongoing emotional experiment. Much of their mythos was bound up in the marriage-and eventual divorce-of Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek, who continued to tour, record, and work in close quarters while speaking a private language known only to themselves. They became an emblem of the band's unusual capacity for conflict resolution and emotional maturity, a quality that has inspired not only fans."

Big Thief's sixth album, Double Infinity, was forged amid loss, tension, and a cold New York winter and resulted in rangy, loose, and eerily calming music. Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia emphasize that staying messy and honest is the only path forward. The band experienced both personal and structural ruptures, including Lenker and Meek's marriage dissolution and the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik. The 2022 Tel Aviv performances provoked backlash, revealing limits to the band's private language and producing clumsy political statements. The group canceled dates and faced questions about interpersonal causes for lineup changes, which Lenker denies.

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