LISTEN: Jessye DeSilva Sings of the White Supremacy’s Ghosts on “Gallows Tree”

Jessye DeSilva returns with a mellow folk song about the dangers of white supremacist culture on “Gallows Tree.” While DeSilva’s Renovations approached similar material with fiery wrath, justified fury at a society that refuses to repent of its sins. But, “Gallows Tree” argues, we need to make space for the everyday pain caused by silencing the past.

Photo by Jenny Bergman

“Written in the spring of 2023 with Alex Calabrese of Old Tom & The Lookouts, this song is a modern roots meditation on generational trauma and repression,” DeSilva explains. “’Gallows Tree’ raises the ghosts of our past unresolved stories within the expansive sonic space of an atmospheric, roots ballad, fueled by minimal percussion, ringing guitars, and subtle banjo riffs.”

The shimmering instrumentation, with DeSilva and Calabrese’s mournful performances, invite us to tap into emotions we’d rather explore.

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