Normality is restored this week as I have the privilege of chatting with acoustic guitar extraordinaire Ethan WL all the way from Boston. Ethan is part of the ever growing and snowballing third wave of American Primitive players, alongside the likes of Liam Grant, Joseph Allred and a blossoming plethora of young musicians in the USA (and around the world).

We chat about his album The Pink House, the album's convergence of acoustic primitive playing with field recordings, electric soundscapes and noise, and the shift he is making for his forthcoming new record, which looks set to consist of purely solo acoustic guitar performances, akin to a live show. We explore the debate around cheap vs. expensive guitars and gear (there remains no definitive conclusion to this debate), the relaxing nature of drone and even harsh noise music, and the not-so-tenuous links in meditative quality in the aforementioned drone and noise styles of music, and the transcendence of American Primitive.

I really enjoy discussing the college and underground music scenes of Boston, learning about a musical realm partly overshadowed by (and even in conflict with) the Berkley College of Music (my only prior knowledge of Berkley is gleaned from memes and Eric Andre). It's super cool to hear about house shows and regular gigs with bills consisting of American Primitive, harsh noise and Hyperpop artists back to back. I really dig the idea of a scene where participants lean into these vastly different forms of extreme music, and Ethan truly is the embodiment of someone who is all about extremes when it comes to music.

Finally, we talk about discovering American Primitive music, playing with Liam Grant, Mike Gangloff, Glenn Jones and many other giants of the genre, as well as working with the legendary Rob Vaughn (his work on Liam Grant's Amoskeag has become something of a benchmark in audio engineering). And of course, the ever present influence of big daddy Neil Young and embracing simplicity in composition.

But anyway... give it a listen - Ethan is doing awesome stuff, and you can expect to hear loads of amazing things coming from him over the forthcoming years, and dare I say, even decades. Early days for the third wave - don't sleep on it!