Bonnie “Prince” Billy, the alter ego of American singer-songwriter Will Oldham, is coming to AB on 10 November to present his new album, We Are Together Again. Get ready for “The most straightforward of Oldham's catalogue, and yet still rich with the oneiric and mysterious qualities that drew so many listeners to his art.” – Uncut

Read on, because here are 5 things you might not know about this remarkable, melancholic singer-songwriter!

• He started out as an actor, not a musician

Before embarking on his music career, Will Oldham appeared in films. He featured in Matewan (1987), a film by director John Sayles about coal miners in West Virginia. He also appeared in Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991). His experience in film later influenced his artistic approach: he sometimes compares making music to working on a film set.

• He has gone by a whole range of musical identities

Bonnie “Prince” Billy wasn’t the name under which he began his career. In the 1990s, he released music as Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Palace Songs and Will Oldham. These name changes weren’t just a gimmick: they reflected his search for different ways of making music.

• Johnny Cash made his best-known song famous worldwide

His song I See a Darkness gained a remarkable second life when Johnny Cash covered it on his 2000 album American III: Solitary Man. Oldham even joined him on vocals for the recording. Producer Rick Rubin brought the two artists together in the studio.

• He has recorded covers of artists including Björk and Merle Haggard

If you mainly know him for his understated folk songs, you might be surprised by his choice of material. On Ask Forgiveness (2007), he put his own stripped-back spin on songs by artists including Björk and Danzig.

• Bonnie “Prince” Billy appeared on Radio 1’s Live bij Ayco

Some time ago, he performed a session on Radio 1’s Live bij Ayco, whose host counts herself among his devoted fans.