The Influences

After almost 18 years of this project, I can almost always feel it when a recording is going to be interesting. And when ‪@joachimcooder4856‬ and his Italian guitarist ‪@adrianoviterbiniguitar‬ entered our set at TakeRoot festival in Groningen, there was no doubt in my mind. Two musicians who truly feel the music they’re playing; who sit down and just let it happen. Well, it happened. They recorded Hold The Woodpile Down – a traditional American folk song often associated with banjo player Uncle Dave Macon, recorded as early as the 1920s.

4 months ago | [YT] | 1

The Influences

For the first time in our 17-year journey capturing intimate live performances, The Influences is opening its doors to community support through Patreon. Join me in shaping the future of this music video project. Created and curated by me, Dutch journalist and filmmaker Matthijs van der Ven in 2008, The Influences has now filmed over 400 separate artists in many unique settings, creating a substantial musical archive of over 1200 videos.



The Influences has always been funded by myself personally, but now I’m launching this Patreon page so that you can support the future of this project. So that you can keep enjoying these videos and all that are to come for free.



patreon.theinfluences.com/

7 months ago | [YT] | 0

The Influences

Spinvis covers 'Everything Goes' by Solo for The Influences, as part of the tribute 'Solo, by other people'



www.theinfluences.com/solo



Erik de Jong (Spinvis): “We have toured with Solo in The Netherlands and Belgium for quite some time. I would wait in the dressing room, except when this song came on, because I would stand in the wings on the side listening, every night. It’s a perfect song. And its meaning now… no one could have imagined that. I translated the song, and for that you really must dive into the lyrics and dig up its meaning. And yes, it’s all terrible. But it’s also very beautiful.”



“That time with Solo was really very nice. Lucas, my pianist, was also there. We experienced this together. Michiel has always had such a drive, you know? That has always intrigued me. But not only this song, all those songs with Simon Gitsels on piano. They made a lasting impression. But yes, everything goes, it’s just a matter of time. That’s it.”

9 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

The Influences

"This song has always been cathartic to me. It feels like a sanctuary for the vocation which also happens to be mine. You have music and the music industry and, more often than not, their interests are at odds with one another. Maybe that’s why it feels so good to be reminded of what’s essential behind the everyday capitalist reality of continuing a career in music: the magic that is music is in fact uncorrupted and free."

"Sadly, the streaming business has made the song’s title true in another sense as well: if the entire music history is available for 12,99, then music is rendered virtually worthless. I worry about that less when I hear a song like Everything Is Free."

9 months ago | [YT] | 4

The Influences

Silver Lining played a cover of 'One Little Song' by Gillian Welch for The Influences.

9 months ago | [YT] | 2

The Influences

‪@johnmartynmusic‬'s Over the Hill, by ‪@caoidebarra‬

10 months ago | [YT] | 0

The Influences

When certain artists I admire are coming through my area, there’s no way I’m missing the chance to film them if I can make time. We had planned to shoot Ryan Boldt of ‪@TheDeepDarkWoods‬and ‪@erinraemusic‬ in the not-so-deep or dark woods nearby, but a sudden downpour changed our plans. Fortunately, the petting zoo at the end of my street welcomed us in, where I captured their beautiful rendition of the traditional song 'The Banks Of The Lough Erne'.

Go see them on tour in Europe. Afterwards Erin sets sail for the UK with ‪@hollowhand‬ as her band.

“The Banks Of The Lough Erne is a take on a traditional Irish song of emigration that has many names, Rambling Irishman, Lough Erne, New York Bay, and An Irishman From Monaghan amongst many others. I first heard it by the beautiful Irish singer Dolores Keane and her group De Danann,” says Ryan Boldt.

Erin Rae adds: “I’d been a big fan of The Deep Dark Woods for several years so when Ryan reached out to me about singing on this song for his Broadside Ballads project, I was really excited. So thankful to be touring here with them and singing more.”

10 months ago | [YT] | 1

The Influences

“It’s just so incredibly depressive that it’s also quite uplifting, I think.”

Watch ‪@JuniorBrother‬ play covers of ‪@richardthompson6569‬ & Linda Thompson and Kate Bush and his own 'Take Guilt' for @theinfluences. Full session and interview are up now on YouTube and the website!

10 months ago | [YT] | 3

The Influences

Take guilt. Take your great-grandfather's hate and taste it. It's hard to swallow.



‪@JuniorBrother‬ - 'Take Guilt' for ‪@TheInfluences‬



This song is part of a special trilogy of videos we filmed together for The Influences, all building toward the release of Junior Brother's highly anticipated new album "The End". We previously shared his cover of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting'.

One more video to come. Stay tuned.



Please subscribe and like this video - and visit theinfluences.com for more.

The End - New album by Junior Brother out September 5th 2025 - pre order here orcd.co/jbtheend


‪@StrapOriginals‬

11 months ago | [YT] | 0

The Influences

Sometimes the most liberating thing a songwriter can do is surrender complete control. For ‪@billiemarten‬, that meant flying to Brooklyn in July of last summer, descending into producer Philip Weinrobe’s basement studio, and trusting complete strangers with her music. “I basically had no control, no authority, couldn’t hear myself sing or play, so it was kind of all him,” Marten reflects on the recording process for her latest album Dog Eared. “It was a large leap of faith.” For her The Influences session, she had a bit more control and recorded Feeling, traditional song All My Trials (learned through Nick Drake) and John Martyn’s Couldn’t Love You More.

Full session: theinfluences.com/billie-marten/

1 year ago | [YT] | 3