Crew & Credits
Typically, Wednesday is movie day here in The Bitter Southerner’s “Moving Stories” section. But today, we’re going to start something new. Every now and then, we’ll use this section to tip you off to some cool new music. We’re just going to do it via video.
Erin Rae grew up in a musical home in the West Tennessee town of Jackson — and, from age 11 forward, in Nashville. Five years ago, she and her band, the Meanwhiles, recorded a five-song EP called “Crazy Talk.” But today marks the release of “Soon Enough,” Rae’s first full-length album and the one she believes is the first accurate reflection of the kind of songwriter she wants to become.
This song, “Monticello,” is a tale of a troubled soul longing for home but unable to get back there — a familiar theme in country music. But Rae also pulls off the remarkable trick of using country themes and instrumentation to create music that doesn’t fit comfortably into any category, and we’ve always got a soft spot for artists who can rise above the limits of a particular genre.
Her musician father schooled her early on in the tunes of great writers such as Eric Taylor and Greg Brown. “I inherited my ear for what I like from him — and the way I played guitar,” she told us. “But all the people who influenced me, I can only classify those people as just American songwriters. I’m just drawn to simple storytelling.”
Erin Rae is telling her own stories quite well at age 25. We think she’s one to keep your eye on. Enjoy her new video for “Monticello.”
