Prolific classical guitarist Gyan Riley's new album Sprig is an ecosystem of emotive instrumentals emerging from an intimate recording session in Joshua Tree's remote Harrison House.
"A sprig is this singular unit that can grow and expand outward in any sort of direction- there's endless possibilities," says Riley. "I really liked that as a compositional idea."
Inspired by anxieties about the wildfires in his native California, Riley has also collaborated with American Forests for the release of the new album. For each physical copy sold, the conservation agency will plant a new tree.
Katy Henriksen interviewed Riley ahead of his performance at the Brightwater Culinary Institute campus in Bentonville April 7th, discussing the evolution of Riley's creative process through the album, as well as the unlikely story of receiving his first guitar.
Listen to the full interview via the streaming link above.
