On June 7, Natalie Spears, an acclaimed local musician known for Pearl & Wood and other collaborations, will celebrate the launch of her debut solo album, “Hymn of Wild Things,” at The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW). Those in attendance will get early access to the album’s tracks in tandem with a live performance from Spears.
“This album felt like an opportunity to allow all the parts of myself to come out,” Spears told The Sopris Sun. “This is the first time I’ve ventured out on my own to record a solo record — I think the opportunity to step into my own being and to allow every part of myself to exist has been a rewarding part of it all.”
Audiences are in for a deep, vulnerable, soulful, raw and relaxing listen when the album goes public on June 28. Spears said the album’s title track will take listeners on an adventure to some of the most ethereal places in life.
“It’s about a sandhill crane migration. For me, sandhill cranes are a connection point to a greater wildness. They’re a touchstone into another world, and much of the record is about that,” Spears stated. “So much of the record is about this process of connecting to the wildness of the land around us and the wildness in ourselves.”
The album also features jazz influences, primarily inspired by 1930s club jazz, which Spears said holds a special place in heart due to its association with her late father, to whom she pays homage in this album.
“My dad has a big influence on this record. In particular, he was a jazz and classical pianist, and he got me playing music when I was young. Music was a big part of our lives growing up; my parents fostered that in me. Even until he passed, music was a big part of our connection,” she shared.
Spears further explained that even as her father battled with Alzheimer’s, he could sit down at a piano and recall how to play jazz tunes. She stated, “There is an element of reckoning with grief on the record and venturing into that tender corner of life.”
Although this solo record belongs to Spears, she expressed profound gratitude to the folks she collaborated with to make it happen, some of whom will be joining her for the album release party at TACAW, including Longmont-based producer Jayme Stone. Many people donated to the album’s Indiegogo fundraising campaign and Carbondale Arts selected Spears for a creative fellowship.
“I’m so appreciative of all the people who were willing to take a chance and invest in this process, and I’m excited to give the music back to them,” Spears said.
Other key players include Carl Meinecke on bass, Tobyn Britt on drums, Sophia Clark on harmonies, Dustin Lutomksi on trumpet and the Singing Bone Medicine Show, a puppet theater troupe from Paonia. All will join Spears on stage.
“I like opportunities to cross-
pollinate,” Spears expressed. “I think that’s exciting. Another rewarding part of this is having the opportunity to collaborate more differently.”
Asked how she hopes audiences will respond to the record, she said she is open to seeing whatever buzz surrounds it as it takes on a life of its own.
“This whole process has been like birthing a child, in a way, similar to when they enter the world and you don’t know what they’re going to do or what their personality is going to be like. This being, this record, is going to have its own life. I am open to what that looks like.”
“Hymn of Wild Things” is available to prepurchase on Spears’ website, nataliespears.com, and anyone in attendance at the TACAW show can purchase a CD or a digital download of the album. The title track single is already available on streaming platforms.
In a Nutshell
Who: Natalie Spears
What: Album release party
When: June 7, 8pm
Where: TACAW
Tickets: www.tacaw.org