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South X Lullaby: Kevin Morby & Katie Crutchfield

In the midst of all the chaos that is Austin, Texas during the SXSW Music Festival, we seek moments of calm. And so one night, as the week was nearing its end, we made our way to the courtyard of St. David's Episcopal Church, just a few blocks from the thousands of festival participants and onlookers. There we found a trickling garden-side waterfall, where Katie Crutchfield and Kevin Morby performed "Downtown's Lights," from Kevin Morby's recent album, City Music.

Katie Crutchfield and Kevin Morby have worked together on a string of recent collaborations, including a cover of the Velvet Underground's "After Hours" and a two-song homage to Jason Molina. "Downtown's Lights" is a song of comfort and prayer for someone who is down and out in the city, and this version, with Katie singing — and the sounds of the city echoing in the background — is wistful and peacefully perfect.

Our thanks to St. David's Episcopal Church for the use of their garden.

Set List

  • "Downtown's Lights"
  • Credits

    Producers: Bob Boilen, Mito Habe-Evans; Director/Videographer: Nickolai Hammar; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Photo: Aaron Rogosin for NPR; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey.

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.