As I suspect is the case for many of you reading this, my feelings about music are inextricably connected to both place and time. Revisiting certain songs and albums can immediately conjure vivid memories of where I was and what was happening in my life when I first heard them. And the relationship that music has with place and time remains a constant source of solace for me.
Both phenomena figure prominently throughout Lizzie Weber’s introspective new single “Fidalgo,” an eloquently rendered ode to her adopted locale and an empowering statement of self-awareness. Atop a sweeping, guitar-driven arrangement propelled by bold percussion, Weber reflects “I should make my own way for once / And if I feel low / I guess I would rather feel it here / on Fidalgo,” later confiding “And I do think it’s time I start believing / I can come out of my corner / I’m so tired of being afraid.”
“’Fidalgo’ is the first song that I wrote once I had moved to Anacortes, which is a small town on the island of Fidalgo in the Pacific Northwest in Washington state,” Weber explains. “I relocated there from my native hometown of St. Louis to be with my now-husband, who was serving as a pilot in the Navy at the time. I was feeling isolated and displaced, trying to adjust to small town life as best as I could but also desperately wanting to stay true to myself personally and as an artist. The song became an anthem for me to sing in times of doubt and fear; a reminder to myself to have courage in taking the road less traveled. The message at its core: to thine own self, be true.”
Released today through Weber’s own label Magnolia Music, via Ingrooves/Universal, “Fidalgo” is the titular lead single from her forthcoming album of the same name due for arrival next year. The song also marks her first new music since releasing “How Does It Feel” and “Lay Down Your Love” nearly two years ago in late 2020.
“I started writing the songs that comprise Fidalgo in the winter of 2016 and began recording them with bandmates and collaborators in the fall of 2020,” she says of the album. “Initially I had planned to make this album with someone else producing, but when the pandemic came around, I found that I was ready to wear both hats and had the tools to produce a project of this scale. I owe a great deal to my friends who brought these songs to life with me on stages for years prior, rehearsing for countless hours, and helping me mold the soundscape and vision I had for production and arrangements on the record.
By the fall of 2021, tracking was completed and mixed by producer and engineer Sheldon Gomberg in LA. Sheldon has a pristine ear and was an invaluable partner in helping me realize this dream and see it cross the finish line. I'm truly excited to begin sharing these songs with fans near and far. Hopefully, they find themselves in this story. The most rewarding part about sharing my music with others is that it becomes a journey that we get to go on together, connecting through shared experience, meeting one another in struggle and triumph. Thank you all for listening.”
Listen to “Fidalgo” below and stay tuned for additional details about Weber’s new album.
SEE Lizzie Weber live | Dates
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