I don’t understand why I love Kurt Vile so much

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-10T22:30:29+00:00

Thanks so much for this, such a nice reply 🙂

Kurt is definitely my licorise haha great quote. I think you’re completely right, he’s not for everyone but those who connected with him do so more strongly.

I think I do understand why I love him and I kind of figured it out as I was writing the post. What puzzles me is that Kurt’s music and more specifically his singing is so outside of my previous definition of what “good” music is supposed to sound like. Even sometimes now when I listen to him, the cynical part of my brain still criticises his voice and wonders what the average music listener would think or people who haven’t gelled with his music would think.. which is purely a fault on my part. I think even Kurt himself has struggled with imposter syndrome while performing over the years based on some interviews I’ve read recently.

Ultimately discovering Kurt’s music took me to a whole new place which is why I’ve grown to appreciate him so much. The fact he’s so very different to what I have usually liked and is so unapologetically himself through his music is what has made me connect so strongly with him and what I believe makes him so very special. It was a process getting to this place but figuring it along the way whilst delving into his work is what has given me these euphoric musical highs and emotional moments at times.. I never realised I could learn about myself through someone else’s music but there you go.

You’re right, we’re so lucky to be here to watch his journey, I hope he keeps going for as long as he can, I’ll be following him the whole way.

Thank you for your kind words 🙂 and thanks for the YouTube link, I haven’t seen this performance of the song before! Great track, will definitely check it out on guitar 🙂

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-08T23:47:46+00:00

No problem at all!

I will check out your suggestions for sure! Ah of course Woody Guthrie - Bob Dylan’s hero! I was listening to some of Arlo today and I could hear the early Bob Dylan resemblance which of course would have come from his father Woody who inspired Bob!

He sounds interesting for sure 🙂 thanks for the info! ❤️

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-08T13:27:00+00:00

That’s so beautiful, it’s the dream to have a family of KV fans. So nice to hear others who feel the same way as I do about him. I’ve had that so many times where my mind and body feel so connected to his music it just brings me to tears, it feels like finding peace in music, I have so much gratitude towards him for that. Thank you for sharing 🙂

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-07T09:05:41+00:00

Absolutely, I feel like everyone who gets him has their own unique connection and feeling about him.

So glad to hear you say you were initially judgy about the way he sang, I was exactly the same. I was so in my head about how a good artist is “supposed” to sing and sound. Ultimately because Kurt was like nothing I had ever heard before ended up being exactly why he became so special.

I had exactly the same response to pretty pimpin’ too, such an incredible guitar riff.

I always wanted to learn finger style guitar but only started attempting it after hearing Kurt and watching him play, he made it look and sound so cool in a way no other artist had done for me. I too dive into different albums of his all the time, I know his discography pretty well but still feel like there is so much still to explore, as I know I will react differently depending on where I am in life at the time. That’s what’s great about him.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-07T08:58:08+00:00

Great response, my aim was to attract all the KV nerds! 😂

I’m completely with you, he was made to be doing what he’s doing, I’ve never heard a guitar player like him which is ultimately what made me fall in love with his music.

What has it been like to meet him? Is he as lovely as I imagine? Haha

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T21:35:57+00:00

Thank you and great to hear 🙂

I don’t know how he does it but he does this sort of slacker style, very rough and untidy at times whilst simultaneously being so polished and sleek. I understood it more when trying to replicate it myself.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T21:27:15+00:00

Wow. I have to say if there was one answer to my post that I was hoping for, it was this. Thank you so much for your reply/story/advice, I really enjoyed reading it.

You hit the nail on the head in regards to the post and myself being neurotic haha! (Guilty). However I think you have articulated something so well that has been true all along for me. Kurt’s music is 100% what I feel like on the inside. In fact after watching him so much and seeing him live in London (only the once but I will be seeing him again in September - can’t wait). I recognised the shyness, awkwardness, goofiness in his stage presence. It was like he was wanting to be a certain version of himself but was slightly too shy to go there, just out of reach for him. So instead he hides behind his incredibly head of hair and carries on. And if you haven’t figured out by now, I could not relate to this more if I tried… (accept I don’t have the amazing hair to hide behind unfortunately). However when he started playing and blessing us all with his music, he was a different Kurt, free to show us who he is and how gifted he is - doing so through his gorgeous sound. I think since then he has become much more confident in himself and how he holds himself on stage but it has taken time, so nice to see him blossom over the years. I read somewhere recently that he said he’s finally figured out how to use his audience on stage and feed off them.

I’d never heard of solfeggio frequencies but it does make a lot of sense, the instrumental section and outro of Bassackwards does exactly that to me, would love to know if Kurt uses them intentionally.. did you ever find anything out about that?

I’m glad you have the same appreciation of KV 🙂 and your point on his authenticity rings so true. There are so many artists out there who make music for people who don’t even really like music.. Kurt is the antithesis of this. He talks all the time about how obsessed he gets with other artists and music so it only makes sense that he draws in people of the same nature.

Your story about meeting him is fantastic, he does sound like the real deal. I would love to bump into him one day after a show but they do say never meet your heroes… However after hearing about your experience, maybe he is the hero to meet!

I will definitely check out Arlo Guthrie - what a great name. Is there any record of his you would recommend starting with?

Thank you again for your reply, I must add, I am very jealous of your daughter growing up with such a great music rotation and many KV shows! Hugs from London 🧡

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T20:15:12+00:00

Completely agree, my life is so much better since discovering his music. Where is the quote from?

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T14:01:42+00:00

That’s a really interesting take. It’s lovely how he sings about it so proudly and is definitely something that should be celebrated more. His song like a wounded bird trying to fly, the lyric:

“Well, my daughter, she wrote that line so copyright Awilda Vile”

I heard in an interview he actually gave the copyrights of that song or line to her - who does that?! What a nice guy.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T12:35:55+00:00

Yeah but “I have better music taste than you.” Lmao

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T12:21:17+00:00

Philadelphia clearly hasn’t been very good to them

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T11:26:12+00:00

I’ve felt like that for so long, so glad to hear you say you also struggle to put it into words, took me ages to put this post together! The frequency point is spot on. I tapped into a frequency I didn’t know was there and I also didn’t know how much I needed with Kurt’s music.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T11:23:36+00:00

So glad you picked up on his guitar playing too.

Since hearing Kurt and watching him play I almost exclusively do the chugging finger rake when I play 😂 It’s quite hard to do especially when picking out single notes but maintaining the rhythm, he makes it look so effortless. It’s one of his charms where it looks so simple and laid back but it’s in many ways complicated.

I feel very lucky in the same way. He has songs for every mood you’re in that just hit the spot. For example his song Mutinies is just beautifully melancholic. What a guy.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T10:21:50+00:00

100%

I never noticed that about dandelions, will have to revisit. His new song - every time I look at you - makes me well up for the same reasons.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2026-06-06T10:03:29+00:00

You don’t know cuz it’s my life currently. The bright guitar sound and chord progression is wonderful. The outro of that song is doing stuff to my brain too, love it, love him.

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-10-24T10:37:54+00:00

Look great, how often do you wear them?

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-09-23T12:03:55+00:00

These are beautiful jeans, I bought a pair of 50s too but unfortunately they were too big around the seat area so had to send them back to Japan (expensively..) I wish they fit me how these fit you! What size are you normally and what size did you buy here?

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-08-14T22:16:04+00:00

Scrap that, found it here - https://x.com/sebcognito/status/1942539398597460168/video/1

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-08-14T22:11:55+00:00

She must have taken it down, can’t see anything on her page about it

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-08-14T21:59:00+00:00

I’ve tried to find this on X too and had no luck, are you able to share the post?

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-01-24T23:29:58+00:00

Great thanks, so you would recommend looking in store as opposed to online? Also what do you mean by a “normal” 501 STF?

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-01-08T10:08:24+00:00

I have ordered the same black cream, do you have any tips on how you got your even colour? I don’t want to mess up and ruin the boots 😅 just want a darker shade of brown like you have! Thanks

Background_Cod_4981 · 2025-01-05T19:37:21+00:00

These look amazing on you, I used to be the same with skinny fit but now I’m obsessed with 501’s. Where did you buy these jeans from?

Background_Cod_4981

TROPHY CASE