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Bangor's Alternative

GoldenOak Showcases Passamaquoddy Basketmaker In Music Video For “Ash”

Maine group GoldenOak first released the song Ash in their album Room To Grow earlier this year and now the band has premiered their first-ever music video which uses the song to highlight the work of Gabriel Frey.

Gabriel Frey is a 12th generation Passamaquoddy black ash basketmaker,” says the band on YouTube. “specializing in utility baskets with a modern approach. Growing up in a basket making family, Frey learned traditional weaving techniques at a young age as well as the importance of self-expression through the traditional basket making art form—a skill he has been honing over the past 22 years.

The band uses the video to showcase Frey while also alerting fans to the threats posing the Maine woods. The recent introduction of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer has threatened the cultural practice of black ash basking making, which makes the preservation and dissemination of this tradition even more pivotal to the cultural landscape.

GoldenOak will perform at Bangor Arts Exchange Saturday, December 11th at 8pm with more dates in January including Portland, Cambridge, MA, and Rockland.

For more on GoldenOak visit http://www.goldenoakband.com and to see works by Gabriel Frey, follow him on Instagram.