"Being trained as a Human Geographer involves thinking a lot about how people and places are interconnected politically, economically, socially, etc. — and also how unequal power relations produce inequalities in how the spaces of our lives are interconnected. My personal research is on the political geographies of migration and borders in Europe, focusing on how humanitarian organizations assist migrants in navigating an often-difficult process of seeking asylum."
Valley Maker Goes Deep On Q&A About Forthcoming ‘When The Day Leaves’
"Since its launch in 1999, Syd Butler’s Frenchkiss Records has served as a breeding ground for some of the most acclaimed indie rock acts of the last 20 years, including The Hold Steady, The Antlers, The Dodos, Local Natives and Passion Pit in addition to Butler’s own group Les Savy Fav.
In 2021, Frenchkiss steadily continues to reestablish itself as one of the foremost American indie labels with the forthcoming release of When The Day Leaves, the anticipated fourth LP from Valley Maker. For 10 years, the name has served as the creative conduit for Austin Crane, a South Carolina native who recently moved back to his hometown of Columbia after spending much of the past decade in Seattle, where he was going for a doctorate in human geography at the University of Washington."
Click here for the full article, in which Crane discusses "not only the new single but favorite Frenchkiss albums, COVID-19 and utilizing his good work as a human geographist as a songwriter in this exclusive Q&A."