The Lost Verses of “This Land is Your Land”

“All that you can write is what you can see” is written at the bottom of the original manuscript for what is now known as “This Land is Your Land.” Woody Guthrie’s seminal masterpiece started as six verses penned in cursive on a sheet…

Woody Guthrie’s Notebooks

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Woody Guthrie's life could be chronicled in so many ways through his songs, through the artists that he inspired, and also through the collection of notebooks, ledgers, and correspondences that he left behind. Beyond the guise of being a roaming…
Woody Guthrie Archives

Woody’s Life in Color

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Woody Guthrie is known for many things and, throughout his prestigious career, he was known by many names. The most famous moniker, “The Dust Bowl Troubadour,” was appointed to Guthrie after the release of his seminal album, Dust Bowl Ballads.The…

“Song to Woody” – When Bob Dylan Met Woody Guthrie

In the middle of a frigid January in 1961, 19-year Bob Dylan embarked on a road trip from Minnesota to New York City with little more than a guitar and suitcase. Dylan had just dropped out of the University of Minnesota after a little more…

Blackwing Staff Picks: National Vinyl Day Record 2020

Happy National Vinyl Record Day! Here at Blackwing, we love celebrating all things music and especially vinyl records. We asked our staff to share some of the favorite and most coveted albums in their record collection. Here are their picks: Annie…

East Greets West: Ravi Shankar’s Impact on John Coltrane

The 1960s were defined by monumental intersections in art and culture that would go on to transform the landscape of society forever.  Peace and free love were themes that permeated every aspect of life, opening up hearts and minds to…

Blackwing Music Presents: The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow

How does a pencil company come to release records? Mostly, because we love music. But the story goes much deeper. A ton of really cool cats used Blackwing pencils over the years. After we acquired and revived the Blackwing brand in 2010,…
Blackwing Loft

The Blackwing Loft Opens at Rough Trade NYC

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The Blackwing Loft is officially open at Rough Trade NYC! This evolving space will be home to one-of-a-kind art installations, events and workshops, and exclusive in-store products.

Guy Clark, Master Songwriter and Artist, Passes Away

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Guy Clark said that the key to crafting a good song was to “write with a pencil and a big eraser.” His methodical songwriting process included pencil and graph paper. He liked to see every letter of every word laid out meticulously before…

Meet 14 Year-Old Folk Singer Sammy Brue

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Last week, we had the pleasure of meeting Sammy Brue, a 14 year-old folk musician from Ogden, Utah. Sammy was participating at the Wildwood Revival Showcase at the Museum Stage of the Newport Folk Festival. That's right, while most teenagers…