Pacific Northwest Americana singer Stephanie Anne Johnson is premiering their new track “Can’t Go Home.”
Videos by American Songwriter
The new track comes from Johnson’s forthcoming LP, Jewels, which the big-voiced artist is set to drop on April 7.
“‘Can’t Go Home’ was written in the middle of some kind of fit or emotional storm,” says Johnson of the new song. “It’s about selling my grandmother’s house, of getting rid of that property and learning to let go of that property. It was also a way for me to work out some of my feelings about what happened in that house over nearly 30 years of living in it and waking up to go to funeral after funeral, each one more painful than the last. Some things are better in the rearview mirror of life. Some things are best remembered through a beautiful piece of art that covers a wound.”
Johnson, a former contestant on the NBC singing competition show The Voice is one of the standout performers in the PNW. With a style that blends Loretta Lynn with Valerie June, Johnson can bring a crowded dive bar to a hush or make a giant stage swoon. The songwriter’s mantra? “Find your joy and go there.”
When American Songwriter previously caught up with Johnson, the artist talked about their process. “You’ve got to be ready to go in a different direction immediately … Just being able to be comfortable to change the plan, the trajectory, for any number of reasons,” said Johnson two years ago. “What I’m working on now is my ability to relax, breathe deeply, and pivot when I need to when I have to.”
Johnson said, “One of the things that I feel has helped me in my life is my ability to continue to move forward. Picking up my feet and going to the next thing, packing the car and driving to the next gig.”
The songwriter concluded, “My favorite thing about music is its transportive properties, the way it can lift your spirits up. It can change your outlook on life. It can make you feel like taking a great, deep breath.”
Check out the new single below.
Photo via Stephanie Anne Johnson
