In preparation for their third studio album, Nate Wooley’s quartet, Columbia Icefield, will be on tour in Canada and the US East Coast between May 13th and 18th. The group features some of America’s strongest improvisational personalities working under the umbrella of Wooley’s unique compositional blend of minimalism, post-rock, ambient field recording, and hard noise to weave a group sound that is both glacial and dynamic, soft and strong, ancient and futuristic.

The group has released two recordings: an eponymous debut on Northern Spy Records in 2019 (now sold out) and Ancient Songs of Burlap Heroes, which came out on Pyroclastic in 2022 (also sold out). Both recordings received critical acclaim:

“...echoes with hints of abstracted Americana ...ranges across an emotional expanse like a dark-hued tone poem.” Bradley Barmbarger Downbeat

“The prettiest, most progressive campfire music ever.” Zachary Woolfe The New York Times

“...the music has an elemental, almost ‘dawn of time’ character.” Kevin Le Gendre

JazzWise

“Wooley and his ensemble have found a way to convey a cold openness aurally and unobtrusively. The sound speaks to each of the musicians being willing to restrain themselves for the sake of the larger vision, controlling tone and space while letting the piece gradually unfold.” – Justin Cober-Lake Pop Matters

Their upcoming third album is based on the writings of Nan Shepherd.