Fleet Foxes Robin Pecknold and Neil Young

Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold
Photo by Jen Reel

Over the years, we've attempted to capture why Neil Young's music matters with varying success.

This year at the annual Bridge School Benefit concerts, The Fleet Foxes were among a handful of up and coming bands to play along with the big names. We found that this interview with Fleet Foxes' frontman Robin Pecknold to be just about the best summary of why we think Neil matters. (And this is for those who love to whine about inconsequential matters and refuse to get it.)

From Pitchfork interview with Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold on their latest album and influences:

Pitchfork: Is there any music you've been listening to that you think could be shaping the music you're writing?

Robin Pecknold: The biggest thing to me -- and I mean this in a totally approach-based way -- is Neil Young.

There's less of a Neil Young feeling than on the first album. But we were asked to do his [Bridge School] benefit down at Mountain View [California], and the experience of being around his crew and being an observer into his world for a few days was this crazy and inspiring experience. He seems like such a wonderful person, and it seems like he just did it the right way. He doesn't seem to have any enemies, and he just does what he wants and looks after the people in his circle.

You would meet person after person who did such and such job on the tours, and everyone had stories. There were dudes that that had stories from 1971, and everyone had nothing but good things to say.

Someone has done it the right way in this music game, and it ended up being fulfilling and good for the people in his life as well. I think that made me still want to do the recording and touring thing, after feeling not too excited by it.

Thanks ny.org!

More on why Neil Young's music matters.

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