Iowan Elizabeth Moen covers respected Oskaloosa native Arthur Russell's songs for donation
An Iowa native musician will give back to LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit One Iowa through the sales of new music that will be released Friday.
Elizabeth Moen will release covers of Oskaloosa native Arthur Russell's music. The Guardian called the cellist and composer one of “the 20th century’s true musical visionaries.” Russell died in 1992 at age 40 from complications of AIDS.
Moen, who began songwriting and performing during her time at the University of Iowa, has become a familiar Iowa act across stages from the 80/35 Music Festival in Des Moines to Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City.
She opened for “Take Me to Church” singer Hozier in Chicago earlier this year, will be supporting Grammy-nominees Regina Spektor and Allison Russell Saturday night in Evanston, Illinois, and will kick of the 51st season of Hancher Auditorium with a concert with Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes fame.
Moen, now based in Chicago, found Russell’s music after she moved from Iowa, according to a news release.
“I felt an instant connection and when I saw he was also from a small town in Iowa, I got pretty emotional,” Moen said. “To know that someone whose music I sincerely felt compelled by was from a town not far from my own meant a lot to me. It can be easy to feel isolated even looking back at memories of feeling alone there and his music feels like a friend looking back at those times together.”
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Russell left Iowa to move to San Francisco in the late 1960s and later moved to New York. He established himself as musician without a genre by dabbling with indie, avant-garde, disco, folk and more, collaborating with poet Allen Ginsberg, composer Philip Glass and David Byrne of the Talking Heads, and was the subject of a tribute compilation in 2014 that featured Swedish pop singer Robyn and Grammy-nominated Sufjan Stevens.
The Oskaloosa native wanted to “bring together pop, classical and dance music and blur the lines between musical forms," Glass said, according to Des Moines Register archives.
“More than anyone else who tried to do that, Arthur did,” Glass said. “He was the most talented. He was the most gifted. He was the best one, hands down.”
Moen will release the five-song EP Friday, “For Arthur,” which includes a cover of “I Couldn’t Say It to Your Face.” All proceeds from the Bandcamp sales of the album will go to One Iowa.
Maddie Rocha Smith, communications and events manager with One Iowa, told the Des Moines Register Thursday the nonprofit learned about Moen’s decision via social media. Smith said it was a “testament” to the fact that people like Moen are using their talents to give back, taking the initiative and doing the work all without asking anything of the nonprofit.
“Our entire team is incredibly grateful for Elizabeth taking the step to use her talents and gifts to give back to LGBTQ Iowans through donating proceeds to One Iowa,” she said. “Our work is incredibly important always but especially with recent legislature and anti-LGBTQ bills that have (been) introduced and passed in Iowa, it’s incredibly important for folks to be aware that there is an advocacy group here in Iowa that is fighting for LGBTQ equality.”
The donations will be made in Russell’s name, Moen said.
“Arthur felt isolated and unwelcomed to embrace his sexuality in his small town,” she said in a news release. “This is still unfortunately a big problem in red states, like Iowa, and in our respective towns in eastern Iowa. One Iowa’s main goal is advocating for LGBTQ Iowans. This EP was made to celebrate and honor all parts of Arthur and not just his songs.”
Where to find 'For Arthur'
Download: elizabethmoen.bandcamp.com/album/for-arthur
Cost: $10
Songs: "Nobody Wants A Lonely Heart," "I Never Get Lonesome," "Words Of Love," "I Couldn't Say It To Your Face," and "In Love With You For The Last Time"
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Elizabeth Moen to donate proceeds of Arthur Russell covers to One Iowa
