I have fantasies of the world being all right. I wish for world peace and prosperity, to be done with the white water rapids of turmoil that we are in now. It is so hard to think about how many people have lost their jobs, never to work at the same level, or pay grade again. To look at the rust belt and know it is shedding population as the townspeople move on to find a better life. Not even qualitatively better, but just something self-sustaining a job, benefits, a bit of security. Money to pay the bills, and a place to rest one’s head. It is unsettling looking at the future what with the erosion in our society. It is easy to be mystified by all this, to ponder what has happened, and to wonder what comes next. Music is a microcosm of it too. Back in the day, artists could reach out and touch the stars, become household names and live happily ever after. Well sort of. But things are different in today’s hard scrabble world.

The indie spirit is born of this, of trying to make sense out of this environment. In March, Houston Native Lera Lynn released her debut CD, Have You Met Lera Lynn? She is already well-known in Athens, GA where she now lives, for her stint as part of the group, Birds & Wire. She says,

“Like many songwriters, most of my songs come from turbulence in my life, be it with a lover or with family or with myself as an artist, or my job. This record is about my rebelliousness in love, hard-headedness, distrust. It’s also about being confused about where I’m going and not always getting what I want out of my creative self.” 

Confusion can lead to clarity, beauty too. Lera came to us during Americana Fest at Marathon Recorders. She brought Ben Lewis on guitar, Bain Mattox on bass, and C.K. Koch on drums. We were bewitched.

-Jessie Scott