Jason Molina was an artist who didn’t like to look back.Throughout his life and career as a singer-songwriter, he was driven by a restless and constantly evolving creative impulse that kept his focus on what matters most.His tireless creativity and work ethic bore fruit.In his short life, Molina achieved what most musicians strive for: a sound that is instantly recognizable yet rarely repeated.From the shores of Lake Erie in his hometown of Lorain, Ohio, to international stages with his bands Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co., Molina performed his expansive repertoire of mysterious, romantic, tempestuous, and monumental songs that were simultaneously innovative and rooted in American tradition.He constantly tinkered with his sound, his image, his band, and his home to satisfy his muse.A tenor-strumming misfit.A lovesick lo-fi indie rocker.A mournful slowcore bard.A pioneer of 21st-century roots rock.A canonical Midwestern songwriter.Jason Molina planted his creative flag in all these areas—to stake his claim, to show how far he had come, and to leave a trail of valuable talismans.With “I Will Swim to You: A Tribute to Jason Molina” – named after a line from Molina’s song “Lioness” – Run For Cover Records and a group of fellow artists pay tribute to the songwriter’s lasting influence.The compilation album of Molina covers was performed by some of today’s most visionary singer-songwriters, including MJ Lenderman, Hand Habits, Horse Jumper of Love, Sun June, and many more, and features unique interpretations of Molina fan favorites and lesser-known tracks from his solo albums and lesser-known EPs.The result is an unmistakable love letter, an often breathtaking holistic display of cross-generational talent, paying tribute to one of America’s most gifted yet underappreciated songwriters.
