Nashville-based singer-songwriter Brennan Wedl released her self-titled album on August 21, her debut for Anti- Records. The record was produced by Katie Crutchfield, who records as Waxahatchee, along with Crutchfield's frequent collaborator Brad Cook.
Wedl is an Americana artist whose songwriting leans into heartbreak and longing, and NPR described her new record's sound as somewhere between Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams and Courtney Love. The album marks her first release since signing to Anti-, a label known for singer-songwriters working outside the commercial country mainstream.
Wedl and Crutchfield built a reference playlist before recording and set out with a specific goal. "We're really going to strive to find the intersection of grunge and country," Wedl said. The band tracked the album live in Brad Cook's garage, a choice Wedl said matched the songs' rawness.
Some of the material had been waiting years for the right session. "Scorpio," one of the album's oldest songs, dates back roughly eight years and passed through five or six different demo versions before landing on the record. Wedl has singled out "Just Another Daddy Who Did Me Wrong" as a favorite, calling it an unflinching portrait of an unrequited crush that tips into self-torture.
The album joins a busy week on the release calendar for country and Americana releases, adding another entry to Anti-'s roster of left-of-center singer-songwriters.
The facts
- Self-titled album released August 21, Wedl's debut for Anti- Records
- Produced by Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and Brad Cook
- Recorded live as a full band in Brad Cook's garage
- Oldest song on the album, "Scorpio," written about eight years ago
- Wedl describes the sound as blending grunge and country
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