Laurie Lewis is gearing up to release her 24th album, ‘Trees‘, marking another step forward for the multi-GRAMMY nominee who has has carved out her place in the bluegrass/old-timey worlds as a uniquely singular vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, and frontwoman in genres revered for their adherence to tradition, authenticity, and the canon of the forebearers. ‘Trees‘ is an album which deals with life, loss, and grief whilst never losing sight of danceable music that drips with community and never feels burdened by its subject matter or apparent solitude. Specifically, ‘Trees‘ expresses the emotional turmoil in Lewis’ life at the time of its making. On the upside, there is the unbridled joy of a walk in the mountains, where she spent many a happy day while unable to play music communally during the COVID pandemic. The flip side of that period—and its long wake—includes a six-month period of grappling with the loss of her singing voice, and most notably, the landmark of creating a recording without her musical and life partner, Tom Rozum. The pair met and began making music together in 1986 and for every album since 1989’s ‘Love Chooses You‘ they’ve been credited alongside each other, often in duet. In recent years, Rozum developed Parkinson’s Disease and the illness’s progression has left him unable to play mandolin or guitar, or to tour with Lewis, record, and perform—as they have done, full time, for decades.
Speaking of today’s song from the upcoming album Laurie Lewis told Americana UK that: “Some songs take their own sweet time getting born. A couple of years ago, I found a paper bag with lyrics jotted down from a trip to the Texas hill country maybe three decades earlier. It brought back vividly a fraught period in my life, and with the perspective of distance and time, I was able to finish it. I guess that’s why I never throw those scraps away!“
