With his fourth album as Valley Maker, Austin Crane expressed the sense of uncertainty that’s permeated his life since before the onset of the pandemic, with the year-long span of downtime providing plenty of time to ruminate on it. The result was When the Day Leaves, a heavily introspective, acoustic-guitar-led rock album contemplating past changes, present indecisiveness, and future unknowns.
The pandemic has also provided Crane ample time to cultivate a thriving garden in his backyard, which he proudly displays at the beginning of his “Neighborhoods” set before launching into his recent album’s title track, “When the Day Leaves,” alongside guest vocalist Amy Godwin. The pair duet serenely over Crane’s gentle acoustic guitar, providing the track with a new sense of rawness opposite the finely tuned version that appears on the LP. Watch the performance below.
