On Raising Sand, Plant and Krauss covered two songs written by the late co-founder of The Byrds’ Gene Clark for his early country-rock duo Dillard & Clark: “Polly Come Home” (also titled “Polly”) and “Through the Morning, Through the Night.” Of the two songs, it was “Polly Come Home” that Plant had the most difficulty singing. (Americansongwriter)
When originally released by Dillard & Clark on their 1969 album Through the Morning, Through the Night, “Polly” played as a softer acoustic ballad. For Raising Sand, Plant and Krauss decelerated its tempo even more, transforming it into something slow simmering, and intoxicating.
“It’s just the most difficult piece of music to sing at the tempo that we sang it at,” revealed Plant in 2021. “It’s one of the toughest calls I’ve had, apart from my audition in the Yardbirds.”“The song itself is just, it’s so poignant. And it’s so slow, so the very opening line of the song—in my chest, my lungs, my vocal cords, in my sense of timing—it was, ‘How am I gonna get these words right to the end of that bar without collapsing?’ It was just such a beautiful lilt.”
Robert Plant “can’t find words” to write new music: "This is a very difficult time to try and wax lyrical"- Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has opened up about his struggles with writing new music.
Speaking to Rolling Stone recently to announce his upcoming tour with Alison Krauss, the pair shared about what they’ve been up to in recent times. While Krauss revealed that she has been back in the studio, Plant said he’s been “going through all that stuff that I never released and never quite got finished”.
When asked specifically if he’s been working on new music, Robert Plant said: “I’ve got a Tascam digital recorder, and I sing, and I put the vocals through a guitar pedal, and then I record them on that over there, and it sounds great. Why bother to go to the studio? But I can’t find words. This is a very difficult time to try and wax lyrical out there.”
Plant then went on to share that he isn’t ready to think about retirement just yet. He said: “For me, the continuum must keep going. Today, I was pulling all my lyric books out and going, ‘Gotta get the groove back. I’ve got something to say.’ So yeah, I’m going to keep going — as long as they’ve got effects machines that make me sound good.”
Recently Robert Plant made a surprise appearance in Blackpool, England, to perform alongside Deborah Bonham, sister of the late John Bonham.
The band played snippets of a couple Led Zeppelin classics, "The Lemon Song" and "Ramble On." You can view fan-filmed footage of both in the below Instagram post, as UCR reports.
Plant has performed with Bonham previously and their history stretches back years. When Bonham was 17 years old, she recorded her first demos in Plant's home, which she then sent out anonymously. She landed her first record deal in 1985 and released her debut album, For You and the Moon, that same year.
Bonham has been writing, recording and performing live ever since, having toured with acts like with Van Halen, Humble Pie, Donovan, Foreigner and Paul Rodgers. And she's remained friends with Plant the whole time.
"I'm very lucky to have that closeness," she told Classic Rock in 2022. "It got even closer when we were working on [John Bonham's] memorial statue. The loss of my brothers John and Michael, and the humor we had, I now have that with Robert. It's why I like being in the band, it brings that humor back for me."
Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant's new project Saving Grace is headlining this year's Cambridge Folk Festival, as it marks its 60th anniversary.
The festival is returning to the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall from 25 to 28 July.
Other acts on the bill include Transatlantic Sessions, Fantastic Negrito, Ralph McTell, Peggy Seeger and Family, and Talisk.
The festival called Plant "one of the most powerfully charismatic singers and greatest music makers in modern times".
Robert Plant will return to Italy in autumn 2024 for 11 other concerts. After the 2023 tour, the singer will perform in the theater again with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian.
8 October Bari, Petruzzelli Theatre
9 October Naples, Teatro Augusteo
11 October Rome, Auditorium Parco della Musica (Sala S. Cecilia)
12 October Florence, Teatro Verdi
14 October Bologna, Europaauditory Theatre
15 October Turin, OGR
17 October, Como, Teatro Sociale
18 October Bolzano, Palasport
20 October Padua, Gran Teatro Geox
21 October Trieste, Rossetti Theatre
23 October Brescia, Gran Teatro Morato
