Singer-songwriter Linda Dunnavant did not officially write her first song until her thirties, so it makes sense that her songs don’t fit neatly into one genre. With high-edged, clear vocals and a light touch on acoustic guitar, Linda fuses Americana and indie-folk elements to create a sound that simultaneously reads vintage and current. Influenced by artists like Neko Case and Nanci Griffith, Linda’s lyrics and melodies seek to describe feelings that can be hard to understand and even harder to express. “Turn the Lights On” is a single from her forthcoming EP, Tiny Towns, to be released later in 2023.
The throughline in “Turn the Lights On” from its opening verse is the thumping heartbeat the drummer returns to even as it dynamically shifts through various rhythmic feels. In her new single Linda Dunnavant uses the push and pull of rhythm and instrumentation to accentuate a narrative exploration of the inner turmoil that comes with baring one’s soul through song. When it lands at its final upbeat feel reminiscent of Sun Records Early Rock n’ Roll it’s hard not to wish the song would go on for just a few more minutes.
“Turn the Lights On” is about my journey to free myself from the fear of being seen and judged by other people. I wrote it around the time I first started performing my songs publicly, and I think it captures both the terror and the hopeful vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there creatively. It is also about letting someone be there for you emotionally in a way that you wouldn’t have been able to when you were younger,” says Dunnavant.
