Artist Description
After walking away from a
major label courtship, Alyssa Graham recalls, “It really was a moment of
clarity for me and thus, my ‘big break.’ I realized then that I had to
make a choice between being the artist I wanted to be or being the
creation that the industry could make of me.”
Peeling back the layers on a quest for her truest voice,
Lock, Stock & Soul, is Alyssa’s new, full length album, produced by Grammy
winner Craig Street. Maybe it’s the earthy basslines (courtesy of
Meshell Ndegeocello), the plush sonic detail or the dulcet and pure vocal but
this album is undeniably alluring. While Echo, Alyssa’s 2008 debut, was focused
on travel – indeed, it functioned as a musical travelogue – Lock, Stock &
Soul represents coming home. The record is a full circle return to
Graham’s longtime musical loves: Neil Young, Nick Drake, Francoise
Hardy and others capable of delivering heartfelt emotion in the simplest of
packages.
As befits the ‘60s and ‘70s artists Graham named as touchstones, the approach
to recording was something of a throwback as well. Sessions were tracked live, with all the musicians gathered in a
communal circle, without even isolation booths to prevent sound
from bleeding over. Feel and raw emotion, rather than airless perfection, was the goal. The result is an
extraordinarily wide-open vibe that wouldn’t sound out of place coming from LAs
Laurel Canyon in the height of it‘s early - 70’s heyday. The songs range
from the the slinky soul of “Ain‘t My Kind of Boy” to the quirky art-pop of
“Exploded View” and the country-flavored duet with Jesse Harris, “Watching The
Sky.” The band includes a renowned group of musicians including
Meshell Ndegeocello playing the understated roll of bassist, guitarist Chris
Bruce (Sheryl Crow and John Legend) and keyboardist Keefus Ciancia (Elton
John and Iggy Pop). Lock, Stock & Soul includes contributions from
longtime musical partner and songwriter Doug Graham, Jesse Harris, who is
known for his work with Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot; and
Austin Music Hall of Fame member Davíd Garza.
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