Growing up in a family that owned a music store, Brooke Annibale found her passion for songwriting and musicianship at an early age. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Brooke’s maternal grandfather opened a music retail and live-sound business in the 1960’s, that is still family-run today. Also an accomplished player, he encouraged Annibale to take an interest in the guitar. Over the years she has evolved from folkier sounds to a sound that is more unique.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of Hold To The Light before its release on June 8. The songs on the album develop like Polaroid photos: each reveals a memory suspended between the perspective of the past with all its wistfulness, pain, and joy, and the revelations of the present. Produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive) at his Great North Sound Society in Maine, Hold To The Light features contributions from seasoned artists Zachariah Hickman (Ray Lamontagne, Josh Ritter) on bass; Josh Kaufman(The National, Josh Ritter) on accompanying guitars; Sean Trischka on drums; and Matt Douglas (Sylvan Esso, Mountain Goats) on woodwinds.
“I made this record with producer Sam Kassirer in his farmhouse converted into a studio in Parsonsfield, ME over a couple of weeks in 2017. I was seeking some change in my creative process after making most of my recordings in Nashville. This truly was exactly what I was looking for. The process of living in the studio for a week at a time, getting to know my bandmates, and really diving head first into the recording process was really inspiring. In our pre-production chats, I told Sam that I wanted to further pursue the idea of combining organic instruments & acoustic sounds with electronic progressive sounds. I think Sam was a great partner for trying this out. He’s a piano player, so he can basically play anything electronic. We had a lot of fun discovering new sounds and challenging each other to find the best, most interesting ones we could,” says Annibale.
Annibale’s thoughtful, layered songwriting anchors the production to explore a range of narratives working through themes of seeking truths, letting go, and reconciling the past with the present. What is abundantly clear is the extend and clarity of Annibale’s vision in writing and recording one cohesive collection of songs. The music and lyrics feel fully realized as songs flow into one another, painting a sonic portrait that is catchy as it is thoughtful. Here Annibale transcends the labels of folk, indie rock and pop to make music that is entirely of her own creation. There is euphoria, elation, sadness, and reflection all layered throughout, and it hardly feels like a stretch to imagine Annibale enchanting an audience at Coachella with the poppier tunes on the album, which bring to mind a more intellectual version of Haim.
“When I’m writing for a new album, I don’t typically have an overarching lyrical concept in mind but it’s always interesting to see what themes rise to the surface when I look at the songs collectively. This time around, the words ‘time’ and different things representing ‘light’ appear woven throughout the lyrics. I’ve found that the unintentional theme of the record is taking a closer look, examining things in your life, and really figuring out what you need or desire to feel more complete. The different references to time, how we spend it, running out of it, never wasting it, and the fear of wasting the time of others, are entwined with that closer look at life,” says Annibale.
LISTEN:
Brooke Annibale releases Hold To The Light on June 8. For more info visit brookeannibale.com.
Tour dates:
06/08 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Three Rivers Arts Festival
06/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Folksong Society
06/16 – New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
06/17 – Northampton, MA @ The Parlor Room
06/19 – Burlington, VT @ The Skinny Pancake
06/21 – Boston, MA @ Fraser Performance Studio
07/03 – Edgartown, MA @ Harborview Hotel – WMVY Porch Concert Series
07/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe – 2nd Stage (w/ The Sweeplings)
07/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Neck of the Woods (upstairs) (w/ The Sweeplings)
07/16 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/ The Sweeplings)
07/17 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern (w/ The Sweeplings)
07/18 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett (w/ The Sweeplings)
07/29 – Allison Park, PA @ Hartwood Acres (w/ Lucius)
08/16 – Fort Collins, CO @ Magic Rat
Photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen
