I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the month of February here really is awful. So far it’s rarely been above single digits, and that is too cold for me.

A week or so ago I was walking home from the corner co-op cafe, it was night time, and it was snowing. There were no cars on the street. I was listening to Vetiver and not really paying attention. And then the drums for Been So Long kicked in, and the guitar and the voice.

I looked up from the sidewalk to see the snow falling all around me and glowing from the streetlights. Nothing moved. No cars. Just the music in my ears and the peace with which everything in that moment existed.

Suddenly the cold wasn’t so bad, and I slowed the pace of my steps.

I saw Vetiver live when I went to see Devendra Banhart in September. Usually I can’t wait for the support band to get off the stage so I can see what I came to see and hear but this time I was captivated as soon as I heard them. It’s not just that they are really good, it’s that their music is beautiful and original. I went out and bought the CD the next day. The first track is my favourite, the drums in it are really sexy!