So Much More Than “White Winter Hymnal”: The Beauty of Fleet Foxes
Article ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites★ 4 Minutes
It’s the Spring of 2008. The housing market hasn’t yet crashed, George W. Bush is president, and it’s the start of the Stomp and Holler / Folk Revival era that would end up being a staple in Millennial culture for years to come. Artists such as Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and Ray LaMontagne are on the rise within this wave of music alongside a band that was unlike anything yet heard: Fleet Foxes.
Founded by Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar) and Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals) at just twenty years old, Fleet Foxes became a North American sensation early in their journey as a band. Formed in 2006, the group rose to fame on MySpace so they could hit the ground running with their 2008 debut EP Sun Giant.
Sun Giant earned them wider recognition whereas their debut full length album released just two months later instantly earned popularity and critical acclaim mostly for its second track: White Winter Hymnal. The song became a staple for the Winter time amongst listeners despite its Summer release and it received not one but two surges years after its release, once in 2014 when Pentatonix covered it alongside Tori Kelly, and again when the song went viral on Tiktok in 2022 and onward.
While White Winter Hymnal approaches its 18th birthday, however, I sit here realizing that the song appears to have given Fleet Foxes the reputation of a one hit wonder. Unless you have your fingers on the pulse of the contemporary folk scene, most have trouble naming another relevant song from Fleet Foxes - let alone one at all. This is disheartening, as a longtime fan, and I find it of great necessity to point out that Fleet Foxes is so much more than their 2008 hit. In fact, White Winter Hymnal is just the tip of the iceberg.
Skyler and Robin (left) via Pooneh Ghana / Robin performing (right) via Christopher SearlesSelf-Titled (2008)
If you ask any self respecting Fleet Foxes fan, they’ll name the band’s first album as an essential listen. It’s a classic in the purest sense of the word and I'd say the same thing even if White Winter Hymnal was voided out. The record is well rounded and warm, providing an extremely cozy atmosphere that melds with the group’s simplistic though comforting attitude quite well. I often describe this album as the perfect series of songs for a campfire due to its acoustic heavy style and tendencies to be lullaby-adjacent.
According to varied interviews with the band from 2007-2009, the album took heavy inspiration from traditional folk and sacred harp music. Pecknold has also noted gospel music as a huge influence, elaborating that he was not brought up in a religious household nor is he particularly religious as an adult but the devotional aspect was a driving force behind the lyricism. Building off of said lyricism, the album’s core themes revolve around Pecknold’s own life and loved ones with elements of nature and philosophy that were sparked by a camping trip he took with his siblings just days before he began writing.
As if that weren’t enough, Pecknold has also explained that he stayed in a rural log cabin in Plain, Washington that was built by his grandfather for the duration of this record’s songwriting process. Furthermore, the band has listed artists such as Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith, Joanna Newsom, The Zombies, Brian Wilson, and CSNY as core inspirations.
Integral Tracks: Sun It Rises, Ragged Wood, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, Your Protector, Meadowlarks, and Blue Ridge Mountains
Helplessness Blues (2011)
With years of touring, scheduling conflicts, and lineup changes within Fleet Foxes, 2011 brought Helplessness Blues. Featuring Josh Tillman (who would eventually be known as Father John Misty) on drums, Helplessness Blues stepped into a more experimental vibe that focused on electric components and being “less poppy, less upbeat and more groove-based” according to Pecknold.
Apart from subtle style shifts and a new percussionist, Helplessness Blues also showcased a big change through its production and direct influences. While Fleet Foxes pulled inspiration from varied folk and indie artists, Helplessness Blues pulled from two very distinct works: Van Morrison’s 1968 album Astral Weeks and Roy Harper’s 1971 album Stormcock: both of which hold prominent themes found in jazz and rock categories as opposed to folk or pop.
Integral Tracks: ALL! But especially Montezuma, Sim Sala Bim, Battery Kinzie, Helplessness Blues, Lorelai, Someone You’d Admire, The Shrine / An Argument, and Grown Ocean.
Shore (2021)
After a temporary hiatus on Pecknold’s part in which he “vanished into the Washington woods then reappeared as a New York college student”, Fleet Foxes returned in 2017 with Crack-Up then again in 2021 with Shore. While Crack-Up expanded on the early sounds of Fleet Foxes, Shore takes a different direction that’s more rooted in liveliness. Birthed during the pandemic-related shutdowns of 2021, Shore features other vocalists and collaborators. Pecknold has described the album as “a celebration of life in the face of death”.
Influences pulled for this album range widely in terms of style in contrast to prior ones. Van Morrison continues to be a big inspiration but this time his music is joined by that of Nina Simone, Arthur Russell, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, Jai Paul, The Roches, and Curtis Mayfield.
Integral Tracks: Wading in Waist-High Water, Sunblind, Can I Believe You, and Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman.
As of publishing, Fleet Foxes has a plentiful discography composed of an EP (Sun Giant), 4 studio albums (Self Titled, Helplessness Blues, Crack-Up, and Shore), a reimagined album (A Very Lonely Solstice, 2021), and three miscellaneous singles (A Sky Like I’ve Never Seen, TM, and Don’t Put It All On Me) featuring other artists such as Noah Cyrus, Cole Pulice & Lynn Avery, and Tim Bernardes. Fans are eager for a fifth studio album sometime soon in 2026 but Pecknold and the rest of the current lineup have neglected to comment.
