Bret Lunsford (Beat Happening, D+) is featured in the new episode of Low Profile, speaking about his recent biography of Harry Smith, Sounding for Harry Smith (Knw-Yr-Own). Bret, currently director of the Anacortes History Museum in Anacortes, Washington, wrote about Harry Smith's boyhood in the Pacific Northwest. Harry spent his school years in Anacortes and Bellingham, Washington before moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. Harry Smith is a film maker, poet, painter and cultural archivist who is best known in musical circles as the curator of the Anthology of American Folk Music released by Folkways Records in 1952. Bret did extensive research about Harry's time in Anacortes for Sounding for Harry Smith, including interviewing some of Harry's surviving classmates.
Low Profile is a podcast hosted by Markly Morrison (LAKE) and Madison Nadine, who traveled to Anacortes and interviewed Bret at the old train depot in the center of town. Says Bret, "The Depot has hosted so many of the great [underground Anacortes] music performances and was the site of interviews conducted with Harry's school mates for the book." He was a little off-guard when the tables were turned and he became the interview subject, "Its a challenge to go on and on and on about stuff; but it's my job."
Bret noticed his interview appeared on the 59th episode of Low Profile, "I'm 59 yrs old and it lasted 59 minutes. That's more of the boring trivia I beat people over the head with in the book Sounding for Harry Smith. Both the interview and book would be more interesting if I had just made up stories." Perhaps. Or, perhaps truth really is stranger than fiction. Harry Smith's life story is too unbelievable - - - you can't make this shit up.
Check out Bret Lunsford on Low Profile.
Beat Happening "Crashing Through"
There is a new Beat Happening single available now, "Crashing Through (Meyering Mix) / "The This Many Boyfriends Club" [IPU147] comprised of 1986-'87 recordings unearthed in the vaults of K and released as Volume CXLVII of our International Pop Underground series.
Above: Bret Lunsford with Beat Happening in Japan, 1984; Below: Bret Lunsford on guitar during Beat Happening's Dreamy album sessions, 1990.
The cover art for Beat Happening "Crashing Through (Meyering Mix)" [IPU147] was done by band member Heather Lewis. It is one of a series of paintings Heather made in a pedestrian underpass on Easter. Read more about it HERE.
