Devendra Banhart’s “Taking a Page” Was Inspired by Carole King

The track is off his forthcoming album “Ma,” out September 13.
Devendra Banhart’s “Taking a Page” Was Inspired by Carole King

The track is off his forthcoming album “Ma,” out September 13.

Words: Kim March

photo by Lauren Dukoff

September 05, 2019

The fourth song shared from Devendra Banhart’s new album Ma, to be released September 13 via Nonesuch, was written with special permission from one of the greatest songwriters of our time: Carole King. Banhart borrowed both a line and a melody from her 1971 classic “So Far Away.”

Banhart explained of the inspo, “I’m not sure what ‘Taking a Page’ is about, at least I’m not sure of how to synthesize it into something pithy. I definitely know it’s about how much I can’t stand car chases and those long drawn-out guitar solos (though I’ve certainly been guilty of plenty of ’em!). I do remember the night Trump won—the shock and fear. I instinctively reached for a Carole King album. I knew it would help. I knew it would come in handy…and it did. Still does. I’m so glad Carole got to hear it. It’s really just a song about my entire life. I can’t explain it much beyond that.”

Apparently Carole King’s response after hearing the song was a simple, “I like it.” So do we. 

Banhart begins his North American tour on September 27 at Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California. He has also confirmed new European dates for 2020. Get tickets here and see the full list of tour dates below.  

Devendra Banhart Tour Dates:

09/27/19 – Dana Point, CA @ OHANA Festival
10/15/19 – Ventura, CA @ The Majestic Ventura Theater ^
10/16/19 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore ^
10/18/19 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom ^
10/19/19 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre ^
10/20/19 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall !
10/22/19 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre #
10/24/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel # @
10/25/19 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Yost Theater #
10/26/19 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park #
10/27/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom !
10/30/19 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater *
11/01/19 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown *
11/02/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater *
11/03/19 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
11/05/19 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi Tone *
11/07/19 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs (Levitation)
11/23/19 – Leon, Guanajuato Mx @ Tecate Bajio Festival
11/25/19 – Mexico City, Mx @ El Plaza Condesa
11/30/19 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art *
12/01/19 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *
12/03/19 – Montreal, QC @ The Olympia *
12/04/19 – Boston, MA @ The Wilbur *
12/05/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
12/07/19 – Washington, D.C. @ 930 Club *
12/08/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
01/22/20 – Warsaw, Poland @ Palladium
01/24/20 – Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
01/25/20 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Palac Akropolis
01/26/20 – Leipzig, Germany @ Felsenkeller
01/28/20 – Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique (Flex)
01/29/20 – Cologne, Germany @ Carlswerk
01/30/20 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
02/01/20 – Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Annabel
02/02/20 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
02/04/20 – London, UK @ Shephard’s Bush Empire
02/05/20 – Paris, France @ Salle Pleyel
02/08/20 – Zurich, Switzerland @ X-Tra
02/09/20 – Milan, Italy @ Teatro Dal Verme
02/11/20 – Madrid, Spain @ Sala Riviera
02/12/20 – San Sebastian, Spain @ Teatro Victroia Eugenia
02/13/20 – Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
02/15/20 – Porto, Portugal @ Hard Club
02/16/20 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Capitolio

* w/ Black Belt Eagle Scout
^ w/ Daniel Higgs
# w/ Cola Boyy
@ w/ Kate Berland
! w/ Rogov