(mid tempo country music) - Hi, I'm Eric Funk.

Welcome to "11th & Grant".

♪ Remember riding horses through that murky water ♪ ♪ Remember the smell of the fresh cut grain ♪ ♪ I didn't know ♪ ♪ That we'd meet real life monsters ♪ ♪ And we didn't know that we would encounter so much pain ♪ - Tonight, we feature the Lucky Valentines, an acoustic trio from Fort Benton, Montana.

Their poignant sound is personal, direct and stirring.

- I would rather make a lot of people uncomfortable and touch the ones who really need to feel seen rather than kind of sugarcoat it.

And if it hurts you, that's okay 'cause it hurts.

♪ I have tried with all might ♪ ♪ To be your flame ♪ ♪ To be your fire ♪ ♪ I've tried to be the voice on the radio ♪ ♪ Put myself beside you while you played your piano ♪ ♪ And your mouth made an O ♪ ♪ I love the way you dance ♪ ♪ I love the way you sing ♪ ♪ The feeling of your hands ♪ ♪ The sound of your feet ♪ ♪ And the lamplight reflected on the curve of your neck ♪ ♪ The laughter on your lips ♪ ♪ The sweetness of your breath ♪ ♪ And we will bang the drum ♪ ♪ And sing with all our might ♪ - [Eric] The Lucky Valentines, next on "11th & Grant" ♪ We will bang the drum and sing with all our might ♪ - [Announcer] "11th & Grant" was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans.

Montana State University, Office of the President.

Quinn's Hot Springs Resort.

The Gilhousen Family Foundation.

Donna Spitzer-Ostrosky, in loving memory of Jack Ostrosky, the godfather of "11th & Grant".

Iris M-L Model.

Sanderson Stewart, enduring community design.

Music Villa, proudly offering Gibson acoustic guitars.

Bill and Jane Gum.

Sal and Carol G. Lalani.

Poindexter's, inspired technologies for a more vibrant life.

Bob and Karen Utzinger, Mary Routhier.

The Rocking R Bar, Stockman Bank.

And by these generous donors.

(mid tempo music) (gentle music) ♪ Oh my darlin' Agamemnon ♪ ♪ Agamemnon darlin' dear ♪ ♪ There's no devil in the darkness ♪ ♪ Like the monster that you fear ♪ ♪ How we toil now in the village ♪ ♪ To keep the wolves at bay ♪ ♪ In the salt flat and the scrap iron ♪ ♪ Where the little children play ♪ ♪ And the night comes ♪ ♪ And the night comes ♪ ♪ Little brother takes the branches ♪ ♪ The tinder and the twine ♪ ♪ Spins the wood in his hand ♪ ♪ And he breathes out fire ♪ ♪ Barefoot as wild dogs in the purslane we run ♪ ♪ Stick swords and wild flowers ♪ ♪ Chasin' down the sun ♪ ♪ And the night comes ♪ ♪ And when the night comes ♪ ♪ Did she whisper to you softly ♪ ♪ Did she call across the waves ♪ ♪ Did she tell you she'd be faithful ♪ ♪ Did she promise you she'd wait ♪ ♪ Til you come sailing home ♪ ♪ Til you come sailing home ♪ ♪ When you sailed among the thousands ♪ ♪ Was it for country or for King ♪ ♪ For the lover of another ♪ ♪ Was it for some rich man's scheme ♪ ♪ Did they bury you in clover ♪ ♪ When your steel had gone to rust ♪ ♪ Did they watch the stars punch through you ♪ ♪ Like a sunbeam through the dust ♪ ♪ Oh my darlin' Agamemnon ♪ ♪ Agamemnon darlin' dear ♪ ♪ There's no devil in the darkness ♪ ♪ Like the monster that you fear ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Well she tastes just like communion ♪ ♪ Like a fire in my chest ♪ ♪ And was I only pushing blood before this ♪ ♪ Before these stones one the road ♪ ♪ Strange ways I have not known ♪ ♪ Yes and here in the dark where quietly we fumble ♪ ♪ With the stars looking down saying ♪ ♪ How they stumble on these promises and prayers ♪ ♪ Still I love her evermore ♪ ♪ Yes and we will bang the drum ♪ ♪ And sing with all our might ♪ ♪ We will bang the drum ♪ ♪ And sing with all our might ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ From the ripple of your hair ♪ ♪ To the whisper of you there ♪ ♪ Beneath your best dress ♪ ♪ I love the way you dance ♪ ♪ I love the way you sing ♪ ♪ The feeling of your hands ♪ ♪ The sound of your feet ♪ ♪ And the lamplight reflected ♪ ♪ On the curve of your neck ♪ ♪ The laughter on your lips ♪ ♪ The sweetness of your breath ♪ ♪ And we will bang the drum ♪ ♪ And sing with all our might ♪ ♪ We will bang that drum ♪ ♪ And sing with all our might ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ When the darkness comes ♪ ♪ We'll be standing ♪ ♪ With open arms and fearless hearts ♪ ♪ Keep the fire burning in your spirit ♪ ♪ 'Cause wherever you go ♪ ♪ You're never alone ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ ♪ Eoeoeoeoe Eoeoeoeo ♪ (mid tempo music) ♪ Moses come on home now the night is gone ♪ ♪ The sky is bruised purple with mornin' comin' on ♪ ♪ Even with your eyes closed ♪ ♪ You can see the horizon ♪ ♪ Call me in the night on my new phone ♪ ♪ Ride my bike to get you and take you home ♪ ♪ With your head on my shoulders ♪ ♪ Singin' songs on the back roads ♪ ♪ I have tried with all my might ♪ ♪ To be your flame ♪ ♪ To be your fire ♪ ♪ I've tried to be the voice on the radio ♪ ♪ Put myself beside you while you played your piano ♪ ♪ And your mouth made an "O" ♪ ♪ I wrap myself around you while we sleep ♪ ♪ But you're callin' out for Molly ♪ ♪ In the middle of your dreams ♪ ♪ And we play with the ways to entangle bodies ♪ ♪ I'll take you for a drive in my new car ♪ ♪ Makin' love or something beneath the autumn stars ♪ ♪ When I drop you at home ♪ ♪ I know you don't love me ♪ ♪ I have tried with all my might ♪ ♪ To be your flame ♪ ♪ To be your fire ♪ ♪ I've tried to be the voice on the radio ♪ ♪ Put myself beside you while you played your piano ♪ ♪ And your mouth made an "O" ♪ ♪ I can't be your forever ♪ ♪ I can't even be your now ♪ ♪ Take what I can from these moments ♪ ♪ And throw the rest out ♪ ♪ I have tried with all my might ♪ ♪ To be your flame ♪ ♪ To be your fire ♪ ♪ I've tried to be the voice on the radio ♪ ♪ Put myself beside you while you played your piano ♪ ♪ And your mouth made an "O" ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪ - Music, particularly the kind of music we're playing just seems to be so driven by the element of storytelling, like the music so much about.

I mean, music most likely predates language.

It's old, it's inside people from birth and we all need stories.

We tell ourselves stories about ourselves all day long.

You wake up in the morning, you tell yourself a story about yourself, whether it's brushing your teeth or trying to figure out who you are and that story you tell yourself changes when you share it with someone else.

You know what I mean?

You learn things about yourself when you start sharing your story with people.

And something changes in the room.

There's a magic that happens at that point that doesn't happen with other things.

It doesn't happen with book clubs.

It happens special with music.

- I think that the general public, when they hear a singer sing, they don't realize that there's a natural theater going on 'cause you're not just singing words and notes, you are telling a story and your really good at it.

Your ability to draw somebody to what it is that you're saying and keep their attention, keep 'em right out on the edge so their mind's not wandering.

- I need to sing.

I learned guitar so I could sing 'cause I started on violin, but I've been singing since probably before I could talk, but I learned guitar so that I could sing.

I discovered Patty Griffin when I was 20, just barely 20.

So I had been listening to pretty much pop radio to that point.

I really liked Jewel and Alanis Morissette, who I still think are great.

They're good songwriters.

But then Patty Griffin came along and I was like, "Oh, so that's how you tell a story."

- One of the things that really interested me in you guys is that neither of you eclipses the other.

And that's tricky when you have a couple doing music together, oftentimes you have somebody who's like a real powerhouse, that's where the attraction is and the other one's sort of a support beam.

But in fact with you guys, you lift each other up so much.

It's really "an us".

It's you, it's me and what everything I can do.

But then it's the synergy of the more than the two of you.

And then when you add Grant, you've got three and there's still this invisible fourth voice that's coming to the table.

It gels in a way that you can't do anything.

- I love playing with these guys because I've learned how to not play.

You know, more space.

- And I noticed that about your playing on this episode is that it was very sensitive to what was going down.

Yeah, it's kinda cool to- - There's more value in between notes sometimes than actually playing every note you know.

It took me a long time to learn that.

- I mean, that's one of the things that really drew me to music and songwriting specifically was that someone you never met, you know what I mean, who had a few chords and a couple of rhymes could reach inside you and move you with a story that felt like yours.

- I think what it shows us is just that we're actually all a lot more similar.

Or if it's not me specifically, it's that every person in the audience loves someone who's different or who's going through a difficult time.

Even if it's not their story, they still relate to it.

We're just not that different.

And music brings that kind of to the surface.

(gentle music) ♪ Spent some years of my life ♪ ♪ Chasing the ghost of your taillights ♪ ♪ Tell me now how did you try ♪ ♪ To think of ways to say I'm leaving ♪ ♪ But it never was so black and white ♪ ♪ You stuck around past Christmas time ♪ ♪ Just long enough to build a lie ♪ ♪ We could all believe in ♪ ♪ I can still smell the cold on your coat ♪ ♪ Old spice cigarette smoke ♪ ♪ The shape you made in the door as the night ♪ ♪ Swallowed you whole ♪ ♪ Swallowed you whole ♪ ♪ Later on I had a dream ♪ ♪ That God had made a name for me ♪ ♪ And I thought well that could never be ♪ ♪ Besides I never did believe in fairy tales anyway ♪ ♪ But sometimes I still can feel ♪ ♪ The way I pressed you to my cheek ♪ ♪ In the silence I believe ♪ ♪ There may be forgiveness ♪ ♪ And I can still smell the cold on your coat ♪ ♪ Old spice cigarette smoke ♪ ♪ The shape you made in the door as the night ♪ ♪ Swallowed you whole ♪ ♪ Swallowed you whole ♪ ♪ Swallowed you whole ♪ ♪ And I still find you living here ♪ ♪ In the quiet with my fear ♪ ♪ A little better every year ♪ ♪ Every year I'm tryin' ♪ ♪ And I watch my babies grow ♪ ♪ Summer sun winter cold ♪ ♪ And I try always to show ♪ ♪ The love that is surviving ♪ ♪ The love that is surviving ♪ (mid tempo music) ♪ Well coals in the kettle come cool in time ♪ ♪ Ice in the gutter is in every little line ♪ ♪ From my foul mouth to your pretty little smile ♪ ♪ Like a cut up picture of you as a child ♪ ♪ Sing hey hey everybody heard the news ♪ ♪ She's all in white and I'm shinin' my shoes ♪ ♪ But some say forever is a long long time ♪ ♪ We'll be together countin' every little line ♪ ♪ We're gonna build us a love and let it shine ♪ ♪ Put a house around it and let it be a light ♪ ♪ So when we get older comes time to die ♪ ♪ We'll have a light to guide us to the Savior's side ♪ ♪ We're gonna build us a love and let it shine ♪ ♪ Put a house around it and let it be a light ♪ ♪ Well some say forever is a long long time ♪ ♪ Yes it is now child ♪ ♪ And we'll be together counting every little night ♪ - [Eric] We were talking about Fort Benton and it's been a while since I've been up here, but I love this part of the country.

And it has a remarkable vibe to it.

[Jamie] My grandmother moved here when she was six and actually one of my sisters still lives in the house that my grandmother and mom grew up in.

My family had a farm about 15 miles out of Fort Benton.

So I grew up on a farm at the feet of the Highwood Mountains and grew up seeing both sides of the sky all day long.

I think I've learned to love it in different ways too as I've lived here through the years.

And one of the songs I wrote actually on our first album, we were sitting in our house, which was just a couple blocks that way.

And I started thinking about who might have been on this ground before there was cement and before there were buildings.

Who had sat here feeling happy or sad, or giving birth, or what have you, 'cause there was a Fort here.

There was indigenous people before.

And then when the Fort was built here, it was a huge trading place for three or four different tribes and all the people coming up the river.

And this was the farthest north that steamboats could go.

So it was huge.

There was stuff going up to Canada from here and a lot of history, but I have imagined that it was probably pretty rough sometimes to be a young woman, where maybe all you had to trade was yourself.

But I think a lot of our stuff just living here, a lot of our music just is informed by living in a sweet, small town.

- It's so deeply embedded that your tempo, the way that you move is this town, and it's this state.

And what you love, everything that you cherish, the thing that brought you back here is wrapped in the music and no way to extract it.

(mid tempo music) ♪ Remember the winter sun on our faces ♪ ♪ Remember the smell of the aspen trees ♪ ♪ I didn't know I'd sing a love song ♪ ♪ At your daddy's funeral ♪ ♪ And we didn't know ♪ ♪ That life would bring us to our knees ♪ ♪ But it was sweet being young ♪ ♪ And it was sweet being free ♪ ♪ Life is sweet ♪ ♪ Remember riding horses through that murky water ♪ ♪ Remember the smell of the fresh cut grain ♪ ♪ I didn't know we'd meet real life monsters ♪ ♪ And we didn't know ♪ ♪ That we would encounter so much pain ♪ ♪ But it was sweet being young ♪ ♪ And it was sweet being free ♪ ♪ Life is sweet ♪ ♪ Life is sweet ♪ ♪ And wasn't it worth growing up ♪ ♪ And finding out what we could make from love ♪ ♪ Wasn't it worth growing up ♪ ♪ And finding that we were strong enough ♪ ♪ Remember the green-ness of our garden ♪ ♪ And remember the sunshine in our hair ♪ ♪ I didn't know how much I loved you ♪ ♪ When it was easy ♪ ♪ And we didn't know how much we would ever live to dare ♪ ♪ But it was sweet being young ♪ ♪ And it was sweet being free ♪ ♪ Yeah it was sweet being young ♪ ♪ And it was sweet being free ♪ ♪ And life is sweet ♪ ♪ Life is sweet yeah ♪ ♪ Oh life is sweet ♪ (mid tempo music) ♪ My mind is full of questions ♪ ♪ And the answers I don't know ♪ ♪ They just seem to disappear like ghosts ♪ ♪ And in the mornin' as I'm leaving ♪ ♪ I'm shaking off the cold ♪ ♪ The devil's in my head are growing bold ♪ ♪ Should I go back to drinking ♪ ♪ Go back to rolling smoke ♪ ♪ Go back and make my baby cry again ♪ ♪ Am I a Phoenix from the ashes ♪ ♪ Or a moth to the flame ♪ ♪ Am I a yellow headed blackbird on the wind ♪ ♪ 'Cause breaking hearts ♪ ♪ And breaking horses takes the same ♪ ♪ You dust it off get back up ♪ ♪ And try again ♪ ♪ And try again ♪ ♪ The emptiness of borrowed beds ♪ ♪ Antiseptic smell of death ♪ ♪ As I'm sitting here watching you withdraw ♪ ♪ I've never seen you so skinny ♪ ♪ Counting nightmares on the ceiling ♪ ♪ Like you're searching there ♪ ♪ For what it is you lost ♪ ♪ Should it come up yellow roses ♪ ♪ In the cemetery stones ♪ ♪ We are brothers ♪ ♪ Always brothers to the core ♪ ♪ And every day's a setting sun ♪ ♪ By and by the song is sung ♪ ♪ You've seen the needle ♪ ♪ And you've seen the damage done ♪ ♪ 'Cause breaking hearts ♪ ♪ And breaking horses takes the same ♪ ♪ You dust it off ♪ ♪ And get back up ♪ ♪ And try again ♪ ♪ And try again ♪ ♪ Breaking hearts and breaking horses ♪ ♪ Takes the same ♪ ♪ You dust it off ♪ ♪ And get back up ♪ ♪ And try again ♪ ♪ Breaking hearts and breaking horses ♪ ♪ Takes the same ♪ ♪ You dust it off ♪ ♪ And get back up ♪ ♪ And try again ♪ ♪ My mind is full of questions ♪ ♪ And the answers I don't know ♪ ♪ They just seem to disappear like ghosts ♪ - You each have a very powerful, natural honesty about you.

There isn't any BS going on.

And so when you can maintain that, when you're on stage, when you can just be that forthcoming, it's a remarkable experience because there's no thing between you and your audience.

They're getting hit with a truth that's being carried in song.

It has to come from a pretty deep place.

- I would rather make a lot of people uncomfortable and touch the ones who really need to feel seen rather than kind of sugarcoat it and sing it every everywhere and not have it have no power.

Sometimes those hard things, that's part of our responsibility having this, whether you call it a gift, or a practice, or something that we've partially been given and then worked on, but it's our responsibility.

You even said it, showing those ugly things to everyone.

And if it hurts you, that's okay 'cause it hurts, but letting it be bearable by putting it to music.

- The pursuance of art as part of the human condition is it's been here forever.

You got early neolithic people were painting.

We have evidence of that People who are literally living hand to mouth at death's door every day took time to paint.

I think that there's kind of a misconception that people painted if there was death, or famine, or battle, that people painted about that as a means of record keeping.

But I wonder about the appreciation of it as a means of collectively grieving too.

I think there's some validity to that.

- I feel like that's part of my makeup as a human is we have to look at it for what it is and not pretend everything's okay if it isn't because people need to know, people need to be seen and know they're seen when they're hurting.

And I feel like that's been I think my most favorite thing that people sometimes say is you told my story and thank you for saying those things that we just don't say that often.

♪ Well the only river I've ever dipped my toes in ♪ ♪ Was the river of my own pain and confusion ♪ ♪ Every little girl should find a refuge in her father ♪ ♪ And daddies shouldn't take consolation ♪ ♪ From the bodies of their daughters ♪ ♪ She held on to my ankles and she drug me down ♪ ♪ Run as fast as feet can go ♪ ♪ To get out of this town ♪ ♪ Marry right away ♪ ♪ And try to make a home ♪ ♪ But the kids get taken away ♪ ♪ Before they're even grown ♪ ♪ And what could I have changed even if I'd known ♪ ♪ The other side is painted black for a reason ♪ ♪ Held my body in his grasp for a season ♪ ♪ I won't be going anywhere ♪ ♪ Where I have to spend another second with you ♪ ♪ If that means bedding with the devil ♪ ♪ Well you can bet that's what I'm gonna do ♪ ♪ 'Cause I can't see no God ♪ ♪ Who could hold hands with me and you ♪ ♪ At the same time ♪ ♪ While I was crying why ♪ ♪ My baby sister's got another important mission ♪ ♪ In the flashing lights ♪ ♪ And busy streets of New York City ♪ ♪ Well what's she gonna tell 'em over there ♪ ♪ Somebody upstairs cares ♪ ♪ And she sends me fakey postcards ♪ ♪ Filled with little hokey prayers ♪ ♪ But I don't need no help ♪ ♪ Or no praying from the likes of them ♪ ♪ When her husband threw me out ♪ ♪ He said don't go talkin' to his children ♪ ♪ Lay me down quietly ♪ ♪ Don't go spouting off no eulogy ♪ ♪ Just make sure that little dog is lyin' next to me ♪ ♪ Don't go making fancy sandwiches ♪ ♪ Don't invite the neighbors over to reminisce ♪ ♪ Don't be sayin' she was that ♪ ♪ Or she was this ♪ ♪ Just let my body lay ♪ ♪ Send me on my way ♪ ♪ And go about your business ♪ ♪ The other side is painted black for a reason ♪ ♪ Held my body in his grasp for a season ♪ ♪ I won't be going anywhere ♪ ♪ Where I have to spend another second with you ♪ ♪ If that means bedding with the devil ♪ ♪ Well you can bet that's what I'm gonna do ♪ ♪ 'Cause I can't see no God ♪ ♪ Who could hold hands with me and you ♪ ♪ At the same time ♪ ♪ While I was crying ♪ ♪ Why why why ♪ (gentle music) ♪ I wish that I could say I had no enemies ♪ ♪ But that's a lie ♪ ♪ I wish that I could say that I succeed ♪ ♪ At everything I try ♪ ♪ I wish that I could say ♪ ♪ That I could look the face of Love straight in the eye ♪ ♪ And say I'd done my best ♪ ♪ That I'd always done my best ♪ ♪ But I waste time crying ♪ ♪ Feeling sorry for myself til I can't breathe ♪ ♪ Stay up nights thinkin' about all ♪ ♪ That I've done wrong til I can't sleep ♪ ♪ And I know one day it'll all go the way of all flesh ♪ ♪ And I'll be free ♪ ♪ In the meantime ♪ ♪ I forgive you ♪ ♪ But I don't know how to move ♪ ♪ Maybe there's a little bit of longing ♪ ♪ In every song I love ♪ ♪ For the world to be not what it is ♪ ♪ But like the one I dreamed of ♪ ♪ Where innocence is sacred ♪ ♪ And people try to build each other up ♪ ♪ Everybody has enough ♪ ♪ Everyone is loved ♪ ♪ But I waste time crying ♪ ♪ Feeling sorry for myself til I can't breathe ♪ ♪ Stay up nights thinkin' about all ♪ ♪ That I've done wrong til I can't sleep ♪ ♪ And I know one day ♪ ♪ It'll all go the way of all flesh ♪ ♪ And I'll be free ♪ ♪ In the meantime ♪ ♪ I forgive you ♪ ♪ But I don't know how to move ♪ ♪ His eye is on the sparrow ♪ ♪ So I know He's watching me ♪ ♪ His eye is on the sparrow ♪ ♪ And so I know He's watching me ♪ ♪ And it'll all go the way of all flesh ♪ ♪ And I'll be free ♪ ♪ His eye is on the sparrow ♪ ♪ And so I know He's watching me ♪ ♪ Oh my darlin' Agamemnon ♪ ♪ Agamemnon darlin' dear ♪ ♪ There's no devil in the darkness ♪ ♪ Like the monster that you fear ♪ ♪ How we toil now in the village ♪ ♪ To keep the wolves at bay ♪ ♪ In the salt flat and the scrap iron ♪ ♪ Where the little children play ♪ ♪ And the night comes ♪ ♪ And when the night comes ♪ - [Announcer] "11th & Grant" was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans.

Montana State University, Office of the President.

Quinn's Hot Springs Resort.

The Gilhousen Family Foundation.

Donna Spitzer-Ostrosky, in loving memory of Jack Ostrosky, the godfather of "11th & Grant".

Iris M-L Model.

Sanderson Stewart, enduring community design.

Music Villa, proudly offering Gibson acoustic guitars.

Bill and Jane Gum.

Sal and Carol G. Lalani.

Poindexter's, inspired technologies for a more vibrant life.

Bob and Karen Utzinger, Mary Routhier.

The Rocking R Bar, Stockman Bank.

And by these generous donors.

(mid tempo music) (mid tempo music)