I released my new SINGLE!
Guys, I’m so excited!
If you are a consistent reader around here, you know I’ve spent many nook-and-cranny moments over the last 11 months working on recording my new album.
And the first single ROMANTIC is finally out!
Listen here : )
Here are a few fun facts about the song
1) It’s the first single from my forthcoming album entitled MATRIARCH (spring 2023) & we’ll have a few more singles to share before then. Let’s winter together, ok? Because we all know that on the outside it can look like winter, but on the inside we can be humming with new, good stuff.
2) It’s the poppiest bop of the whole bunch of new songs. I am a child of the 90’s & 00’s & pop is in my blood! I just love a happy song you can roll your windows down to, a song that makes you feel a little happier & more hopeful, & a little more seen, too. If you like songs like “There She Goes” (by The La’s) or the la-la songs on Gilmore Girls (by fellow female Sam, Sam Phillips!), I think you’ll like this song.
3) It’s the oldest song on the album. I wrote this in 2018, pre-kids, neck-deep in year 4 of infertility. A weirdly happy song for such a hard season, I know. I’ve always felt like my ability to romanticize things was a huge character flaw & a weakness. But when you’re in really, seriously dark times, the ability to find good, & the brave choice to lean into that good, can be essential to the survival of your soul & spirit, & your belief that there really is something Big & Beautiful at work in & around you.
4) The major feels on this song are happy, feel good, lighthearted, & laid back. I am a hyper-sensitive individual & feel everything, which can lean towards depression & anxiety. Music is a bit of an escape for me, & I often write words to encourage & remind myself of what I KNOW to be true, what I am fighting to believe. I think sometimes the ability to find & choose joy in the smallest of things is a powerhouse weapon against an enemy who loves to make us feel helpless, hopeless, & overly distracted by the heavy things in our lives.
5) My favorite part of the whole song is the bridge. It’s basically a list of good things that feel just right to my heart & can always take the tension out of my shoulders & help me breathe a little deeper. It also shout-outs two different types of coffee I love & I sincerely didn’t realize that until we were deep into production sooooo I guess my love for caffeine is a huge part of this for better or for worse.
6) When we recorded the group vocals at the end (my SIL/producer Jess, my BIL/engineer Kyle, and John) we had both the kids with us. Griffin was waking up from a nap in another room & teeny baby Smith was sleeping strapped to John while John played guitar & sang. This was a favorite memory from recording. It doesn’t have to be the perfect artistic situation or even a *good* time to create. Just show up as you are, owning the season you’re in, making stuff you know you believe in.
7) My favorite lines in the song are:
“you gotta be brave to lean into the goodness”
“silver linings dripping like jewels”
“we all wanna see the real you baby, standing in broad daylight whole & unafraid”
If you’ve listened and have a favorite line/section, please let me know below! That would make my day!
8) It’s perfect for those of you who like to incorporate some non-holiday music into your end-of-year soundtrack. Perfect for a sunny day, bonus if it’s a warm late autumn day. Perfect for a leisure drive (windows down if you can) or a brisk walk outside (city street, greenway, or nature trail). Perfect to pair with that moment you sit down at a coffee shop & crack open your journal & sip your bevvie of choice. And it’s family friendly if you’re driving in a van full of kiddos too — it is kid tested & approved.
9) Credits!
•Written by me
•Recorded at Tongue & Groove in NC
•Produced by Jess Ray (fellow 4 & Romantic, my BFF-turned-SIL and incredibly talented musician)
•Mixed & engineered by Kyle Langdon (fellow 5 & lover of good good coffees, Jess’ hubby and my BIL, and ALSO amazing musician)
•Various instruments played by Jess & Kyle
•Mastered by Voyager Mastering
•Group vox brought to us by myself, Jess, Kyle, John, & my sleeping kids.
•Images by my dear friend Brent Deitrich of Live View Studios, who took them on the biggest “what are you doing in the next few days” whim, & crushed it!!
•Hair by my hair fairy Alli Carter or Portal Studio of Durham
If you’d like to read more about my music journey, you can read this post here!
(Short story is: I’m a music school dropout, I’ve been performing/creating since I was 10, My goal is not to hit it big or be famous, My goal is to keep creating and sharing for the rest of my life!)
Thank you so much for your support! I can’t wait to share the rest of these songs in the coming months.