Kacy & Clayton

The talents of vocalist Kacy Anderson and guitarist-vocalist Clayton Linthicum form the core of Canadian duo Kacy & Clayton, whose sound evokes the height of British folk-rock. Country touches appear throughout their work, yet robust harmonies, wistful yet melodic lines, and Linthicum’s guitar playing align more closely with the British folk approach of Fairport Convention and Richard & Linda Thompson, while the plainspoken character of their lyrics aligns instead with Canadian folk figures Ian & Sylvia. Their atmospheric and forceful revision of older folk styles received vivid treatment on the 2015 release Strange Country, and the 2019 album Carrying On placed greater weight on country inflections.

Cousins who have known each other since childhood, Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum grew up near one another in Saskatchewan’s Wood Mountain Uplands, where their family established a ranch in 1911. At age ten, Linthicum remained with uncle Carl during his parents’ absence and received his first guitar instruction, an instrument he has never set aside. In 2009 the pair recognized a shared interest in vintage folk material and began rehearsing and performing at a local tavern. Recognition grew quickly, and within twelve months they appeared at folk venues and festivals. Linthicum also performed for a time with a bar band devoted to country material. At a 2011 show he met musician Ryan Boldt, who likewise favored classic folk and blues; Boldt, a member of the Canadian roots-rock group the Deep Dark Woods, both recruited Linthicum for that band and spoke publicly about the Kacy & Clayton project.

The duo’s debut album, The Day Is Past and Gone, appeared in 2013 and drew strong notices, among them comparisons of Anderson to the celebrated folksinger Sandy Denny. During a 2015 tour of England they spent a day examining materials held by folk-music scholar Cecil Sharp. Their second album, Strange Country, produced by Shuyler Jansen, followed in 2016, again earning widespread critical praise and extending their audience in the United States.

Issued in August 2017, the third album The Siren’s Song was produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Extensive touring ensued, including a series of North American dates supporting the Decemberists. The pair returned to Wilco’s Chicago studio the Loft for further sessions with Tweedy and released Carrying On on New West in October 2019, an album that displayed a stronger country orientation than earlier recordings. New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams heard their music and approached them about collaborating; the Canadian cousins agreed, and the joint album Plastic Bouquet appeared in December 2020.