AMERICAN folk-pop singer-songwriter Laura Veirs' tenth solo record will be a "concept album about the fragility of precious things".
Released on April 13 on Bella Union, The Lookout is a soundtrack for turbulent times, full of allusions to protectors: the camper stoking a watch fire, a mother tending her children, a sailor in a crow's nest and a lightning rod channelling energy.
"The Lookout is about the need to pay attention to the fleeting beauty of life and to not be complacent; it’s about the importance of looking out for each other," says the 44-year-old Colorado-born musician.
"I’m addressing what’s happening around me with the chaos of post-election America, the racial divides in our country, and a personal reckoning with the realities of midlife: I have friends who’ve died; I struggle with how to balance life as an artist with parenting young children."
Written and produced on the heels of Veirs’ collaboration with Neko Case and k.d. lang on 2016's case/lang/veirs album, the 12 songs on the new record are the result of a year'’s worth of daily writing in her attic studio in Portland, Oregon.
The artwork for Laura Veirs' April album, The Lookout
"Twenty years ago, when I was just starting out with my punk band, it never occurred to me to write five versions of a song," says Veirs. "I’ve learned to see how malleable lyrics and melodies can be. I have more tools as a musician so I write many versions of songs until I find the right fit."
Produced by Veirs' husband, Tucker Martine, The Lookout draws on the talents of a time-tested crew of musicians: Karl Blau, Steve Moore, Eli Moore, Eyvind Kang and Martine, plus the guest vocals of Sufjan Stevens and My Morning Jacket's Jim James.
"These guys are a good hang, ego-free and wonderful players who just want to serve the songs," says Veirs, who will open her nine-date British tour with Yorkshire gigs at The Hubs, Sheffield, on June 2 and Leeds Brudenell Social Club on June 3. Tickets can be booked at ticketmaster.co.uk and seetickets.com.
The track listing for The Lookout will be: Margaret Sands; Everybody Needs You; Seven Falls; Mountains Of The Moon; Watch Fire; Heavy Petals; The Lookout; The Meadow; The Canyon; Lightning Rod; When It Grows Darkest and Zozobra.
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