Here is the video premiere of the new single from singer-songwriter and autoharp player Grey DeLisle. Quite simply, ‘Borrowed and Blue’ is one of the most beautifully performed and produced songs you’ll hear this year. From DeLisle’s opening lines, “Long ago you promised you would leave her // We would raise a family of our own,” it’s clear that this will be a heart-wrenching tale of disenchantment, disappointment and resignation. DeLisle says of the song, “A long time ago I fell in love with a married man. My grandmother was a very wise woman and she told me, ‘If they’ll cheat WITH you…they’ll cheat ON you.’ Those words inspired me to write this song.” DeLisle’s vocal delivery brings genuine character and emotion to the song, whether in the spoken sections or the lovely melodious verses and chorus. There are immersive sonic layers to lose yourself in with sweeping strings and a particularly impressive pedal steel contribution from Greg Leisz, whose bending, swirling notes are absolutely delightful.
The multi-talented Marvin Etzioni directed the video, produced the song and supplied acoustic guitar. He explains the great talent involved in the project and how the recording of the song came together, “‘Borrowed and Blue’ from Grey DeLisle’s cover album ‘Borrowed’ was originally recorded on her album ‘Home Wrecker’. On this new version, Grey is backed by Murry Hammond of the Old 97’s on guitar and Greg Leisz (Emmylou Harris, Lana Del Rey) on pedal steel with strings arranged by Eric Gorfain (Fiona Apple, REM). Mixed in Nashville by Mike Poole (Allison Krause/Robert Plant) and mastered in London by Sean Magee (The Beatles) at Abbey Road. The video was shot in Pasadena capturing Grey’s performance on the record; no vocal punch-ins or vocal overdubs. Grey delivers her heartfelt autobiographical tale of infidelity in one fell swoop.”
‘Borrowed’ is DeLisle’s first record in over fifteen years. After three well-received albums in the early 2000s, including debut ‘Home Wrecker’ in 2002, she took an extended break while raising a family. She explains, “I’ve spent the last 15 years making people so I took a break from making music. It’s so strange but ever since I became pregnant with my first child the songs just went away. I used to write a new song almost every week but I suppose all of my creative energy was being directed into my babies. When the pandemic hit and I was home for an extended period of time, my brother and I started playing covers of our favourite songs at night and uploading them to social media. I hadn’t played my auto-harp more than a handful of times in years….and all of a sudden…it was like tapping into a spring. The songs just started flowing. I know this is a record of covers….but there are over 100 brand new songs coming. It’s about time.” Indeed, following ‘Borrowed’, which is a very well-chosen name for a covers album, we can look forward to a record of all-new, original material later in 2023. DeLisle also happens to be an incredibly prolific voice actress, who has featured on over 2000 cartoons since the 1990s, including playing Daphne on Scooby Doo and appearing as a regular on The Simpsons. That work keeps her busy but with songs like ‘Borrowed and Blue’, we’re hoping for more music in the future. Check it out.
