The greatest works—whether they be written in prose, presented on film, or sung in song—are those that take on the enormous, extensive aspects of our world and present them in a wholly engaging and relatable manner.
Picture (Portrait), the latest offering from Minneapolis ensemble We Are The Willows, does just that, confronting the heady subjects of love, loss, and the uncertainty of the future in a time of war in a charming, inviting manner. While the album’s scope is large, its heart is even larger.
The record was conceived while frontman Peter Miller read the 350-something letters his grandfather sent his grandmother throughout his time stationed in the Southwest Pacific during World War II. Miller’s affectionate countertenor narrates the tale of these two lovers, and his heartfelt melodies are backed with an extensive folkchestral palate of banjos, strings, percussion, and acoustic and bass guitars.
Peter was kind enough to break down Picture (Portrait) for us, track by track. Feel free to read his insights below as a guide while you enjoy the tunes.
“Picture”
“Before my grandpa (Alvin Miller) left for boot camp, he called my grandma (Verlie Branstner) to ask her to come to the St. Paul Train Depot and see him off. In this era of his letter writing, he tried his best to assure my grandma that he would return from war the same man that he was when he left.”
“Dear Ms. Branstner”
“My grandpa wrote a lot about the first time he saw my Grandma. He agreed to come chop wood for August Branstner (my grandma’s dad) in order to get a look at Verlie Branstner. He also talked about the possibility of his own death. And in the early years, while in boot camp, he spoke of it in a young and naive way. Also, the gravestones in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery look like teeth.”
“We May Never Grow Old”
“My grandpa, much like every 21-year-old person, talked about the world in a way that indicated he truly believed he would be alive for a long time. He didn’t have the capacity to truly understand his own mortality.”
“Eva, Eva, Eva”
“There are a lot of sweet and romantic things my grandpa wrote to my grandma. I think they’d be hard to write and also hard to read. The romantic things are juxtaposed against war, death, and thousands of miles of separation. What does ‘I’m never going to leave you’ mean when you literally aren’t there?”
“To Me, From You”
“One of Alvin’s jobs was to clean up after bomber planes. Verlie lived in Saint Cloud, Minnesota at this time assembling plane parts. She thought highly of the soldiers stationed there in Minnesota. Alvin wondered about ‘goodness’ and concluded that good and evil are tied to time and place, circumstance, and some level of determination.”
“My New Name”
“Alvin was moving around a lot and wasn’t getting many letters. He had little connection to the outside world. Around this time he began signing off of his letters as his military ID number, which was 37322636.”
“Stillborn and Stuttering”
“There was little Alvin could say about his life in the military, as censorship was very strict. He also had a hard time putting his feelings into words. There also wasn’t any guarantee that Verlie would get his letters. Alvin was isolated.”
“Wedding Song”
“Alvin found comfort in the past. The present was terrifying and the future was unknown. Before Alvin left for boot camp he asked Verlie to marry him. She said no. Somehow, his love was confirmed. He would compensate for any lack of love.”
“Turpentine to an Open Wound”
“When Alvin returned to the U.S., he lived in Minneapolis with his aunt and uncle working at their glass shop. He was still separated from Verlie. The future of their relationship was still unknown. This is his plea to her.”
“Wondering Out of My Head”
“Alvin and Verlie are to be married. Alvin ponders the past and dreams about the future.”
Picture (Potrait) is out now on The Homestead Records. Purchase a copy here.