Will Oldham / Kurt

Will Oldham was born in Louisville, Kentucky and began his artistic career as a young actor, delivering a memorable performance as a teen preacher in director John Sayles' classic 1987 film about an Appalachian mining community, MATEWAN. Since then, he has appeared in a few more independent features, such as JUNEBUG and ELYSIAN FIELDS, but his primary focus has been music. At age 20, Will left Brown University and bought a cheap guitar for his first recordings with friends in Brooklyn. He then returned to Kentucky and began playing with more pals, including brother Ned from the influential indie-rock band Slint, building a loose-knit group that eventually became the first Palace Brothers release in 1993. A prolific and influential musician, who went on to perform under numerous names: Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Bonnie Prince Billy and others. He has also been involved in musical projects and bands such as The Amalgamated Sons of Rest, The Anomoanon and The Boxhead Ensemble. The ghostlike musical intimacy created by Oldham's quiet singing and the spacey, unobtrusive acoustic accompaniment has garnered Oldham fans worldwide (his shows sell out in Ireland and Australia) and inspired some impressive artists to cover his songs. These include Johnny Cash, whose wife, June Carter Cash, demanded he record Oldham's "I See a Darkness" after hearing it on a mix tape and the musically brilliant Icelandic pop star Bjork, who covered him and admits a passion for his songs.