In ‘The Attic‘ Rachel McIntyre Smith presents as not a fan of decluttering, of holding things up and determining whether they bring joy. Because objects can also be the repository of memories and connected thoughts, they are the physical evidence of events. They hold old relationships, they are reminders of successes and, yeah, of failures too, as she sings: “My grandma’s quilts and the life she built / Condensed down to a box and kept here out of guilt / We save her stuff cause we couldn’t save her / And think we’ll just deal with it all later.”
Speaking of ‘The Attic‘ Rachel McIntyre Smith explained to Americana-UK how it draws on her own life: “A few years ago, I moved back in with my parents for a short time. During my time back home, I thought I would help my mom organize our attic. Organizing the attic has kind of been a white whale for my family my entire life. We are constantly talking about it or attempting to chip away at it, but it never seems to get done. I was determined that I was going to get the job completely done. I ended up getting so frustrated with my mom because she wouldn’t part with a lot of things that I thought should be tossed. After a few weeks of trying to push through, I called it quits. I went to my room and started writing about how I was feeling. As I was writing, I started seeing it from her perspective- how hard it must be to see all these artifacts of your life. The song quickly came together, and I gained a lot of empathy for her.” It also fits into something of a common thread in her writing as she added that “A common theme in my music is nostalgia, which I think is a lingering symptom of having a great childhood. ‘The Attic’ falls in that category along with my songs like ‘Glory Daze,’ ‘The Woulds,’ and ‘Parentheses.’ I also gravitate towards a particular style of production which I call “comfort twang“ – an emphasis on acoustic instruments (guitar, mandolin, banjo) and a clear, dry vocal. I think it’s different because it’s not so much focused on my perspective as a woman but just as a person. It’s not veiled in any kind of romance or heartbreak themes. That’s all to say that I think this song is relatable to a wider audience than most songs I have released. ”
Rachel’s next release will be ‘Honeysuckle Friend Deluxe Edition‘ and it’s out on June 27th.
