In a perfect world where the rise of the artist was merely about voice and substance, Lonna Kelley’s name would be alongside those of Neko Case, Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten. The Phoenix, AZ-based Kelley is a survivalist and has performed and recorded with a variety of significant indie artists including Howe Gelb and Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth).
Kelley has self-released albums since the early 00 and quietly developing into a singular voice. For Lonna, these years have been littered with co-fronting the short lived (but celebrated) psych outfit, Cherie Cherie, and has been a longtime member of Gelb’s, Giant Sand.
In 2015, Lonna self-released Take Me Home Spiderman. This album was something of an awakening. A fully realized sound. A hot pot boiling over with lush pop melodies of the 60s and 70s, brutally honest lyricism, minimal instrumentation, and harsh noise. This album garnered praise by WFMU’s legendary music director, Brian Turner. This led to heavy play on the influential radio station, which caused the limited pressing of the album to quickly go out of print.
For the past few years, rumors of mysterious B sides to Take Me Home Spiderman have spread. Lonna decided to finally dust off the old tape reels and unearth these lost classics, “Will I See You” and “Time Waits For No One.” They carry very similar nuances to Take Me Home Spiderman, however, these songs explore deeper the themes of loss, love and longing. Grappling with the idea of death and how brutal lost time can be. Even in the darkness, there still seems to be light at the end. The last line of “Will I See You,” states ‘I’m never, ever gonna stop believing.’ She sung this statement in a way that clearly shows she was trying hard not to give up. You can’t help but feel the earnest sincerity. The songs were made out of necessity, not vanity.
Lonna collaborated with John Dieterich (of Deerhoof) to solidify the sonic landscape. Not only did he perform mixing and mastering duties, but also sculpted the incidental noise throughout these tracks. This 45 is meditative and at times transcendent. It is still hard to believe that these songs haven’t always been around.
Glide is thrilled to premiere “Will I See You” (below) an achingly beautiful vocal tour with a virtuosic urgency reminiscent of The Velvet Underground & Nico. Kelley may be the most gifted voice roots and rocks fans still haven’t heard and yet while her talents are most people’s best secret, these recent dust-offs serve as a worldwide premiere of must hear songs.
