
NEM#251: Dr. Alan Williams (Birdsong at Morning)
From The Partially Examined Life by Mark Linsenmayer
April 25, 2026 · 1h 37m
About this episode
The episode features an interview with Alan Williams discussing his music career and recent albums.
Alan released two albums with folk-rock band Knots and Crosses in the early 90s, put out one solo album, then became a recording engineer and earned a PhD in ethnomusicology. He released three albums between 2010-2019 fronting Birdsong at Morning and put out two more solo albums. We discuss "Just Like Water" (and listen at the end to "Somewhere There's a Train") from Floating on the Dreamline (2026), "The Great Escape" by Birdsong at Morning from A Slight Departure (2015), and the title track to Curve of the Earth (1993) by Knots and Crosses. Intro: "Neon Dreaming," originally from Evidence (1994). More at alanwilliamsevidence.com . Sponsor: Get three months free of online payroll and benefits software for small businesses at gusto.com/nem. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com . Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic .
People in this episode
Host: Mark Linsenmayer
Guest: Alan Williams
Topics covered
- music
- ethnomusicology
- folk-rock
- album discussion
- recording engineering
Keywords
- Alan Williams
- Birdsong at Morning
- Knots and Crosses
- ethnomusicology
- music albums
Sponsors
Gusto
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Knots and Crosses, Birdsong at Morning, Nakedly Examined Music
Products: online payroll and benefits software
More episodes of The Partially Examined Life
- PEL Presents PMP#223: What Is Star Wars Now? · June 11, 2026 · 55 min
- Ep. 393: Kant vs. Hegel (Part One) · June 8, 2026 · 51 min
- PEL Presents PvI#118: Aphoristically w/ Andrea Roccella · June 7, 2026 · 50 min
- PEL Presents Closereads: Horkheimer and Adorno on The Odyssey (Part One) · June 5, 2026 · 1h 0m
- Ep. 392: Early Hegel Elevates Reason (Part Two) · June 1, 2026 · 50 min
- NEM#253: Synth-Scaper Richard Barbieri (Japan, Porcupine Tree) · May 31, 2026 · 1h 14m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Partially Examined Life podcast page.