When I first heard singer-songwriter Weyes Blood I was entranced with the sound of her voice and the music. Natalie Laura Mering professionally known as Weyes Blood makes the kind of psychedelic folk music you can chill to all day long. Things didn't start out the way most musicians begin their careers. She was raised in a deeply religious Pentecostal Christian household. She felt there was something not right about the dogma she was raised on and rebelled against it. Both her parents are musicians and her dad was part of a new wave band back in the 70s. When she turned 15 she started writing songs and was now using the name Wise Blood, a name from the novel by Flannery O'Conner. Later in several of her releases, she started using the name Weyes Bludh but eventually changed the lettering to Weyes Blood. She attended college in Portland, Oregon, and majored in music although she dropped out after the first year. She started playing in bands both as a bassist and pianist until she decided to go solo. In 2011 she released her debut album, The Outside Room as Weyes Blood and The Dark Juices. The album caught the attention of music critics describing it as ethereal but with an edge. Since then she has released three more albums and is now signed to the well-known independent record label, Sub-Pop. She says church music has influenced her songwriting and cites singer-songwriter, Harry Nilsson, as a major influence on her singing and songwriting style. She is set to release her fourth album, And In the Darkness, Hearts Aglow on November 18th. She will go on tour in 2023 so be on the lookout for dates. Support independent music and musicians. Happy listening!
Grapevine
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