Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief was the latest musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing “dragon eyes” with little more than an acoustic guitar and a paintbrush. The track appeared on the songs portion of her two October solo albums songs and instrumentals.
While many guitarists employ a brush stroke with the side of their thumbs, few use an actual paintbrush. The technique softens the guitar’s tone, slightly muting the striking of the strings. This gives “dragon eyes” a warm, hazy feeling, the sonic equivalent of soft focus in old films. Check out the performance below.
In January, Lenker played “anything” for an appearance on Colbert, and she co-produced Indigo Sparke’s debut album Echo that dropped in February. As part of Big Thief, she is nominated for two 2021 Grammy Awards.
