Weird Music Wednesday: Weirs--Folk, but Deconstructed

1. Weirs is a band, though some may characterize them as a collective, from North Carolina whose stage lineup can vary from two to double-digit membership. Members also play in other acts including the Magic Tuber Stringband, Fust, and Sluice. They are ostensibly a folk band, with public domain Christian hymns and pre-20th century ballads comprising much of their repertoire. However, Weirs add patinas , undercurrents, and layers of ambient and foreground noise to their renditions of old-time tunes, giving them often unfamiliar and alien contexts. Have you heard of Weirs before reading this question (by the way, the vocals in the accompanying clip kick in at about the 5:00 mark) ?

2. Part of the attraction of Weirds for me is their placing of theologically rich Christian hymnody in unorthodox, someimes unsettling settings. That their work appeals to a certain subset of music hipsters fascinates me some, too. I wonder, however, whether their use of those texts is at all ironic. Their first album IS entitled Prepare To Meet God, they've sold a crucifix emblazoned with a Bible verse citation--Isaiah 4:7--and their latest long-player, Diamond Grove, (released October 2025) includes two versions of a doxology. In whatever interviews with them I've been able to find, they're tight-lipped about the spiritual element of their work . Would you be more or less inclined to like a musical act if they don't personally align to their lyrics, however much you like their sound?

3. In my experience, Weirs' music can be difficult to find online without being especially careful with spelling; it seems to help to know the names of the songs or albums you're seeking, too. One typo in YouTube's search bar led me to a gamut of "Weird " Al Yankovic videos! Have you ever enjoyed artistry by someone whose artistry can be difficult to find?

4. One review of Weirs' latest alum I read of Weirs' latest album touts how the band fuses traditional folk music with musique concrete, the mid-20th century French innovation wherein natural and other ambient sounds are electronically manipulated. Refamiliarizing myself with that genre via Weirs' incorporation of elements of it, that sems to me like an early form of the sampling so prevalent in popular music nowadays. Agreed?