Bartees Strange just wants to be happy. It’s not a stunning confession, but it’s one searching for a simple kind of contentment — almost quaint in its simplicity, but revealing in its aspirations. “I’ve made money before and it’s honestly not all it’s cracked up to be. Be happy,” he told me over email. Strange was in a van somewhere between Washington D.C. and the open road, entertaining packed bars along the way. He’s had a lively few months during an era of idleness and impermanence. The moment multiple people were allowed in one place, and outdoor concerts resumed, he found himself booked and ready. In September, he graced the stage at New York’s City’s Governors Ball, and performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago while touring across the country with Phoebe Bridgers. “Truly the sickest shit I’ve ever done in my life,” he said of the experience. In November he will be heading to Europe for two weeks of shows, where he’ll also make another appearance at the Paris edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival.
The stars seem aligned for someone who spent years at a non-profit environmental organization, before an unexpected shot to work for the Obama administration shifted his frame of mind. “It was my wildest dream to get that far, that felt impossible. But I did it,” he said of his time working under #44 as the press secretary for the Federal Communications Communication. “So I thought well if that’s impossible, and I honestly am not having any fun at all, why not try something I love. That’s when I started to go deeper on music.”
