For our Track by Track feature, artists open up about the stories behind each song on their latest album. Today, Erin Rae takes us track by track through her new album, Lighten Up.
After releasing her debut effort, Putting on Airs, in 2018, Erin Rae was living as the troubadours do. She spent the years between that release and the start of the pandemic on the road and, like any other artist, found that life come to a screeching halt.
On Friday, February 4th, she’ll return with her new album, Lighten Up, an appropriate title both for our times and for the album. This latest collection is an amalgam of dreamy, psychedelic country, indie-rock, and believably vintage folk. Thematically, too, the album is a bit like an old kaleidoscope — social commentary and musings on gender equality morph into more personal stories of self-acceptance, recovering from heartbreak, and optimism for an unknown future.
“I love connecting my inner world with the outer experience in my songwriting,” Rae tells Consequence. “I think it helps me feel a real sense of belonging in this world.”
Rae has broken down the album in our latest Track by Track interview. You can also stream the LP one day early, and get an exclusive first look at the video for “Can’t See Stars” featuring Kevin Morby, below.
