01 Mar GARDEN & GUN: Valerie June: In Bloom The Tennessee native’s deep roots yield rich fruit on The Order of Time
In the apartment buildings of New York City, there is no shortage of crazy cat ladies. Valerie June isn’t one of them, but she does have her own obsession. “I am the crazy plant lady,” she says. The Tennessee native’s Brooklyn brownstone is a veritable greenhouse, with pots competing for space alongside musical instruments and her collection of vinyl albums. Her favorite plant is the night-blooming cereus, a member of the cactus family that opens up with a stunning, ghostly flower, usually just one night of the year. “This plant is just incredible,” she says. “I was dancing, getting my groove on, and I’m looking at the window and I’m seeing this alien-looking thing. What in the hell is this?It made me cry.”
June fixes a cup of tea and sits at a table in her kitchen. Following a wild election year filled with divisions and vitriol, she’s been feeling contemplative and a bit out of sorts, searching for answers on what her own role should be. “My job is to find pockets where I can create stronger communities and bond in the simplest ways,” she says. “It could be sitting for a few minutes in between songs with a group of people you don’t know, where no one is yelling, no one is fighting, we’re all in the same room chilling. Those moments are important. We may not all agree on things, but one thing brings us together at my shows.” Read more here.
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