Somehow, Devendra Banhart’s landmark album Cripple Crow is 20 years old. An album that somehow joined an ancient American spirit of song with a just-around-the-corner iPhone generation. So when he joined me on Lost and Sound, I presumed this would be our focus. But instead, right from the beginning, the conversation veered into completely unexpected territory.

Banhart, who first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a leading figure in the freak-folk movement and has since evolved into a multidisciplinary artist, opens up about the intimate relationship between creativity and humility. “You cannot show up at the gates with arrogance, with hubris, with ego,” he explains, describing his approach to making art.

We dive into what makes music emotionally resonant, with Banhart outlining his theory that great songs must speak to “the body, the heart, and the mind.” This somehow connects to asking, “Where’s Macarena now?”, and to crying over the mournful qualities of Van McCoy’s disco classic The Hustle.

Way more a conversation than an interview, and that’s a good thing. Throughout, Banhart demonstrates a remarkable wariness of certainty, describing it as “the most frightening attribute of a human being.” It’s a philosophical stance that informs not just his music but his entire worldview on the day we spoke, suggesting that the best art emerges from questioning rather than knowing.

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Listen to Devendra Banhart’s music on Bandcamp
https://devendrabanhart.bandcamp.com/album/flying-wig

Preorder Cripple Crow (20th Anniversary Reissue) here.https://devendrabanhart.com/

Follow Devendra Banhart on Instagram:
📸 @devendrabanhart

\https://www.instagram.com/devendrabanhart/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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Huge thanks to Audio-Technica – makers of beautifully engineered audio gear and sponsors of Lost and Sound. Check them out here: Audio-Technica

Want to go deeper? Grab a copy of my book Coming To Berlin, a journey through the city’s creative underground, via Velocity Press.

And if you’re curious about Cold War-era subversion, check out my BBC documentary The Man Who Smuggled Punk Rock Across The Berlin Wall on the BBC World Service.

You can also follow me on Instagram at @paulhanford for behind-the-scenes bits, guest updates, and whatever else is bubbling up.