Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the first innocence mission album. Since then, the Lancaster, Pa., band—wife/husband duo Karen and Don Peris (both play multiple instruments and sing) and bassist Mike Bitts—has released nine more LPs. The latest is Sun On The Square (Badman), which also features Peris children Anna (viola) and Drew (violin) on a couple tracks. Karen and Don will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
Don: A student of mine, Levi, turned me on to Bill Fay. Two of his songs contain lyrics that, for me, transcend the boundaries of mere words. On his 2012 song “Cosmic Concerto,” Bill sings, simply, that “Life is people/Life is people.” Not things, nor money, nor prestige, class, politics, religion. It’s simple and profound. We all know this truth. but it is sometimes good to be reminded.
On “The Never Ending Happening,”Bill sings this about life: “Just to be a part of it is astonishing to me.” I really love that.
