One of the more exciting roots releases slated for 2019 is Jennah Bell’s full-length debut Anchors And Elephants, due out February 22. The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter explores her folk, soul, indie and R&B roots across the LP, using her kaleidoscopic influences to chronicle love, heartbreak, identity and personal growth with precision and dimension. Bell recorded Anchors And Elephants with producer James Poyser, a member of the Roots who is also known for his work with Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, among other artists.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ahead of Anchors And Elephants‘ release, Bell has shared the striking new song “Another Louisiana.” The emotional track, which features co-production and charango from Michael Haziza, is built atop Bell’s ethereal guitar playing, which chimes and swirls beneath her vulnerable vocal. Lyrically, “Another Louisiana” recalls the rawness of Julien Baker and the imagery of Laura Marling, with Bell confronting personal demons and past relationships with unflinching clarity.
“It’s a song about drinking, and love too,” Bell says. “There was something liberating about being that vulnerable, but also being very literal. I tried not to add any metaphor or fluff to a very real story. ‘Another Louisiana’ is probably the most vulnerable point on the record. We tried four or five different iterations when producing that song, and it was just too dishonest, in the beginning. But it ended up coming across as honest, sonically, as it felt when I wrote it in the first place (which was definitely a real low point in my life). I still get emotional when I perform that one.”
Listen to “Another Louisiana” below.
