Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi Announce New Album ‘They’re Calling Me Home’ & Share Single

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi announced a new album, They’re Calling Me Home, due out on April 9 via Nonesuch Records. The duo also shared the single “Calling Me Home.”

Gidden and Turrisi recorded the album in just six days at the Hellfire recording facility on a working farm in Ireland, the musicians’ adopted home where they have been since the pandemic began in March. They’re Calling Me Home “speaks of the longing for the comfort of home as well as the metaphorical ‘call home’ of death, which has been a tragic reality for so many during the COVID-19 crisis,” as per a press release.

The record sees the multi-instrumentalists utilizing a number of the traditional folk instruments they’ve become associated with including the minstrel banjo, accordion and frame drums as well as the viola. The duo also welcomed Congolese guitarist Niwel Tsumbu as well as Irish traditional musician Emer Mayock on flute, whistle and pipes. Giddens and Turrisi produced the album with the help of engineer Ben Rawlins with mastering from Kim Rosen.

The 12-track LP sees Giddens and Turrisi curating folk songs from their adopted home of Ireland as well as America and Italy, their respective countries of origin. Those tracks include some of the first folk pieces Giddens learned like “I Shall Not Be Moved,” “Black As Crow (Dearest Dear)” and “Waterbound” along with her original, “Avalon,” as well as “Nenna Nenna,” an Italian lullaby Turrisi used to sing to his infant daughter. Alice Gerrard wrote the album’s lead single, “Calling Me Home,” which Giddens spoke about in a statement.

“Some people just know how to tap into a tradition and an emotion so deep that it sounds like a song that has always been around — Alice Gerrard is one of those rarities;” Giddens said. “‘Calling Me Home’ struck me forcefully and deeply the first time I heard it, and every time since. This song just wanted to be sung and so I listened.”

“Calling Me Home” arrived with an accompanying music video. Watch it below:

They’re Calling Me Home Tracklist:

1. Calling Me Home
2. Avalon
3. Si Dolce È’l Tormento
4. I Shall Not Be Moved
5. Black as Crow
6. O Death
7. Niwel Goes to Town
8. When I Was In My Prime
9. Waterbound
10. Bully For You
11. Nenna Nenna
12. Amazing Grace