Sounds Local: A voice of hope takes center stage: Grammy-nominated musician Seth Glier’s new album, “Everything,” offers harmony and solutions for restoring our planet

The eight songs on the Glier’s new album, “Everything,” focus on the sacred connection among all living things and our need to deepen and heal our relationship with the earth. As Glier explores these  issues in each song, he offers solutions to our current climate crisis. While this may sound rather heavy-handed, it’s not. “Everything” is a beautiful, often spiritual, and ultimately optimistic collection of songs — a message of hope for a future where humans and the planet are re-aligned for mutual restoration.

The eight songs on the Glier’s new album, “Everything,” focus on the sacred connection among all living things and our need to deepen and heal our relationship with the earth. As Glier explores these issues in each song, he offers solutions to our current climate crisis. While this may sound rather heavy-handed, it’s not. “Everything” is a beautiful, often spiritual, and ultimately optimistic collection of songs — a message of hope for a future where humans and the planet are re-aligned for mutual restoration. PHOTO BY JOE NAVAS

In advance of the Jan. 26 release of his new album, “Everything,” multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Seth Glier is performing at Hawks & Reed on Oct. 28, Nov. 25 and Dec. 23. Copies of the album will be for sale.

In advance of the Jan. 26 release of his new album, “Everything,” multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Seth Glier is performing at Hawks & Reed on Oct. 28, Nov. 25 and Dec. 23. Copies of the album will be for sale. PHOTO BY JOE NAVAS

Album artwork for “Everything” by Mary Streepy.

Album artwork for “Everything” by Mary Streepy. CONTRIBUTED

By SHERYL HUNTER

For the Recorder

Published: 10-25-2023 3:39 PM

Rewilding the rivers, mammoths, and regenerative farming are not typical subject matter for pop-folk songs. Yet, these are some topics that Seth Glier tackles on his upcoming album, “Everything.”

The eight songs on the album focus on the sacred connection among all living things and our need to deepen and heal our relationship with the earth. As Glier explores these various issues in each song, he offers solutions to our current climate crisis. While this may sound rather heavy-handed, it’s not. “Everything” is a beautiful, often spiritual, and ultimately optimistic collection of songs — a message of hope for a future where humans and the planet are re-aligned for mutual restoration.

“Everything” will not be officially released until Jan. 26, but you can hear some of these songs when Glier performs them as part of his pre-release three-show residency at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.

The three-show residency kicks off Saturday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. The next two shows will be on Nov. 25 and Dec. 23. Advance copies of “Everything” on vinyl and CD will be available to purchase at these shows.

Glier is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in Shelburne Falls. He launched his career locally when he was barely in his teens. He’s since won five Independent Music Awards, and his 2011 album, “The Next Right Thing,” was nominated for a Grammy.

He has shared the stage with such artists as Ani DiFranco, Martin Sexton, James Taylor, Ronnie Spector and Marc Cohn. Glier, who has also worked as a cultural diplomat for the U.S. Department of State, has always used his music as a source for positive change, and he continues that mission with this new album.

Glier’s current path can be traced back to his goddaughter, who shared her interest in mushrooms, leading him to become an avid mushroom forager. “The whole process of learning about edible mushrooms (not the psychedelic type) and getting involved with various mycology groups in the area was the start of my journey,” said Glier about the early roots of “Everything” during an interview in his home in Holyoke.

The world of mushrooms led him to a closer connection to the natural world and to spending more time with non-musicians and engaging with groups like the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, a conservation group dedicated to preserving fresh water streams.

But it was when Glier was listening to a podcast called How to Save a Planet with Dr. Alana Elizabeth Johnson that the idea for the album developed. Johnson feels that everyone can play a role in averting climate catastrophe, and to get started, they need to ask themselves three questions: What are you good at? What is the work that needs doing? And what brings you joy?

“Pretty soon after hearing those questions, I knew I was going to do this album,” Glier said.

“It was just putting all the stuff that I love together, from telling stories through music, communicating those ideas to an audience which has always been a part of my life, and making sure those stories and communication are about climate solution.”

His goal was to be part of a new narrative about the climate crisis.

“It can’t be all gloom and doom,” Glier said. “I don’t want to be part of that world. Art shouldn’t be a roadblock to where we can get to.”

Glier already had a couple of songs that were appropriate for such a project including “Mammoth,” which he co-wrote with Ellis Paul. The song is written from the perspective of a frozen mammoth brought back to life from frozen DNA.

Once he decided to make the album, Glier dove deep into educating himself on various environmental issues. He spent time at Soul Fire Farm, an Afro-Indigenous farm in Grafton, New York, that employs farming practices in harmony with nature. Through this experience, he wrote “Finally Home,” a funky tune with Cry Matthews contributing vocals, about an individual’s reconnection with the earth. Time spent at Arcadia National Park learning about tree migration led to teaming up with Rani Arbo to write the a cappella song “Birches.” The hymn-like song was recorded in an old church with the local vocal group Windborne. A deja-vu-like experience while foraging chanterelle mushrooms led to the writing of the moving title track.

The album opens with the catchy “Rise,” a song about protecting and rewinding our rivers. Gliers sings the opening lines “What if this is the beginning/Not the beginning of the end/A wisdom that’s awakening/Coming back around again.” These lyrics set the tone for much of the album that follows.

Recorded at his home studio, and working with a number of local musicians as Glier has done on this previous releases, the music defies easy labeling, as influences from pop to folk to gospel weave in and out of this material.

Even though the official release is not until January, Glier is already bringing the new songs to an audience. Three singles have already been released, and Glier has been out there playing at a number of colleges. Performing at colleges may not seem new or different for a musician, but Glier is not playing in typical theaters — he is visiting sustainability departments, performing his music and also participating in talks about the environment.

“Because I was looking at rebuilding a different kind of music career with this release, colleges felt like the inevitable place to start,” he said. So far, Glier says these visits have gone great, with students being receptive to his solution-based ideas.

“A lot of it’s been about getting into a framework where restoring the planet is restoring yourself, and I’ve found students to be really receptive to that idea.”

In the months up to and after the release of “Everything,” Glier will be touring throughout the country. The Hawks & Reed shows are the only local performances currently scheduled.

“I wanted to do more than one show locally,” said Glier of his decision to do a residency. “Because I have been collaborating with so many people locally, I wanted a way of showcasing that and having that feel more communal.”

Each of the three shows will be different. The show on this Saturday will be a solo performance which will be held in the Perch at Hawks & Reed. At the November show, Glier will be joined by local musicians Reed Sutherland on guitar and Rob Griffith on drums, who both played on the album. The November show will also feature special guests, with Roger Salloom, Janet Ryan and Eric Phelps already confirmed and more guests are being planned. The December show will be a holiday sing-along.

Tickets can be purchased individually for each show, or you can buy a specially priced bundle ticket to grant you admission to all three show. Advance tickets are available at hawksandreed.com.

In addition to advance copies of “Everything,” hand-crafted survival boxes, which include a CD of “Everything,” a lyric booklet with artwork, candles, a compass and more handmade items will be for sale at the shows. (This would make for an excellent holiday gift.)

“I recently heard Joan Baez say that hope is a discipline she has to practice every day. I feel that way,” said Glier when asked what he hoped listeners would take away from the album.

“We are in a great transition. I want this album to give the listener a sense that the only thing we are limited by is the scope of our collective vision.”

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.