There has never been more high-quality music being made than there is today. However, unless you’re looking for sugar-coated, synth-driven pop sounds—the discovery of that music is often left to the mercy of streaming algorithms.
Take, for example, punk-infused Americana (think The Clash meets Loretta Lynn). There’s a torrent of it, particularly a number of very good female artists such as past-guest Sarah Borges, Lydia Loveless, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Jamie Wyatt and others.
Arguably at the head of the line is our latest guest on The Load Out Music Podcast: The truly wonderful and immensely talented Lilly Hyatt.
The daughter of the legendary Americana artist John Hiatt, Lilly Hiatt first earned buzz with a pair of early solo records. Then came her 2017 breakout album Trinity Lane, which was produced by Michael Trent of Shovels & Rope. It’s a gritty collection of heartfelt yet rollicking rockers, including the title track, “The Night David Bowie Died” and “All Kinds of People,” among others.
Hiatt’s newest album, Forever, sees her stylistically return to Trinity Lane, as we discussed. Written and recorded in her home near Nashville, Forever is a stellar collection of vulnerable songs that grapple with growth and change, escape and anxiety, self-loathing and self-love. She cut the record with her husband, Coley Hinson, who produced and played most of the instruments throughout. The result is a raw, unvarnished collection that toes the line between guitar-driven, alt-rock muscle and singer-songwriter sensitivity.
“I think of this album like a hand to hold,” says Hiatt. “I wanted to open up the door and
let people in on what I’ve been going through, but I also hoped that by telling the truth
about the joy and pain and love and grief I’ve experienced, it might strike a chord with
somebody else navigating their way through all those things, too.”
Whether you are seeing Hiatt live with her stripped down, incredibly talented four-piece band, or just listening to Forever—there’s an electrifying energy to Hiatt’s art that is plain to hear. The album’s tracks range from the brawny, escapism fantasy “Hidden Day,” where she declares, “I’m gonna find a place where no one needs nothin’ from me”; to the breezy, lo-fi “Ghost Ship,” which reminds us of the common ground we share no matter our superficial differences; and the driving “Shouldn’t Be,” which meditates on the universal need to stand for your beliefs without requiring the validation of others.
“I’ve always been fascinated with escape in my writing,” Hiatt reflects. “A lot of these
songs like to imagine a moment or a place where you can become untethered from
reality, from the mundane, from yourself. Sometimes just being with the person you
love is all it takes.”
Escapism, indeed. It’s rather easy to get lost in the songwriting, vocal talents, and exceptional musicianship that Lilly Hyatt and her collaborators bring to everything performance and recording. So step up and get you some. Enjoy a superb conversation with the terrific Lilly Hyatt on The Load Out Music Podcast.
Content shared from brobible.com.