Friday marks the 25th anniversary of both 9/11 and Kitty Donohoe’s folk song, “There Are No Words,” which pays tribute to the fallen heroes, family members, and friends we lost that day.
Donohoe, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, singer-songwriter, wrote the song in response to the day’s tragic events.
On the song, Donohoe sings, “In one single hour in one single day / We were changed forever, something taken away / And there is no fire that can melt this heavy stone / That can bring back the voices and the spirits of our own.”
“I think it’s the hope of every artist to create something that affects people in a strong way, and I’m honored that ‘There Are No Words’ has played a part in the healing process of our country for so many people,” wrote Donohoe on her website.
Jan Krist. Photo taken from Jan Krist’s Facebook page.
Jan Krist doesn’t mind sharing different perspectives.
The folk singer-songwriter gets candid about religion, politics, history, and relationships on Since You Asked Me.
“It does feel cathartic to be able to go ahead and say some of this stuff,” said Krist about her latest album. “It feels a little scary, too, to say what you’re thinking.”
The album’s title track explores having an honest conversation with an acquaintance about being banished from a church.
“I said, ‘Tell me about your experience with the church,’ and he said, ‘Well, since you asked me …,’” said Krist, who had the conversation at a writers’ retreat in Washington.
“And then he launched into this story about when he was young, he had a relationship with a young woman there in the church, and they both made mistakes. But he ended up getting banished, and he lived in Alaska in a little town. It really was hurtful for him to feel this heavy judgment every time he walked into a local place.”
Backed by somber acoustic guitar and cello, Krist sings, “You can’t claim the higher ground / When you’re pushing people down / And barring mercy’s door / And what are we thinking?”
“I have not had that experience, but I’ve had many experiences being in churches,” said Krist, who recently relocated to South Lyon from Fort Wayne, Indiana. “I’ve been Christian since I was 16, and I was a worship director at a church. And I’ve been to all kinds of churches, from high church to evangelical.”
The title track is one of 17 songs on Since You Asked Me, which features emotive instrumentation, narrative lyrics, and serene vocals. Each track immerses listeners in a different time period and provides compelling characters against a rich backdrop of folk music.
To learn more, I spoke with Krist about select tracks from the album and the creative process behind it.
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