Nashville-based indie-folk singer/songwriter Liz Longley is set to release her forthcoming sixth LP, Funeral For My Past, on September 18, which is available for pre-order now via Bandcamp. The record’s warm sound was curated by Grammy-nominated producer Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, The Weeks, Caitlyn Smith) and brought to life by a cast of esteemed players known for records by Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Jake Bugg, Ingrid Michaelson, Kim Richey, Cam and more. Today, Longley has shared two new singles ahead of the record’s release, “Long Distance” and “Send You My Love,” the latter of which premiered at The Boot earlier this week alongside praise of her “soulful, Grace Potter-like highs.”
Of the new tracks, Longley offers, “‘Long Distance’ is about the feeling of being in a long-distance relationship with someone who is right next to you. Sometimes you don’t know how you got so far apart or how to fix it. And ‘Send You My Love’ is inspired by my travels and my attempt at staying connected to those I love while on tour. The best part of this song is that I wrote the bridge with an eight-year-old girl who I met on tour. It was so fun to collaborate with a budding musician.”
Funeral For My Past will arrive following Longley’s amicable split with her former label, Sugar Hill Records, and a wildly successful crowd-funding campaign that placed her as the fourth most-funded solo female musician ever on Kickstarter. Her deeply devoted fans contributed over $150,000 in order to help her purchase the rights to and promote Funeral For My Past, far surpassing the initial goal of $45,000. The elements of Longley’s demeanor that have helped foster such a connection with her fans show up throughout the album itself: it’s at times cozy and heartwarming, but with a bite that makes each track difficult to forget.
Billboard Magazine recently announced the release date for Funeral For My Past and premiered the title track — praising its “Americana and gospel-flavored soul…shimmering pop anthems and touches of jazz” — but Longley has been sharing early singles from the 11-song set since the start of the year. The upbeat folk-rock track “Finally High” gained significant attention in the blog world, with B-Sides & Badlands praising, “Indie-rock singer-songwriter Liz Longley…laces up her vulnerable, hyper-exposed lyrics with pummeling percussion work and electrifying guitars, a deceptive musical trick to get you lost in the puffing haze.” Folk Alley previously premiered album standout “Torture” saying, “Longley’s incredibly versatile voice feels right at home in this velvet lounge of a sonic setting created by producer Paul Moak and a wonderful band of players.” She initially shared the “intimate and provoking” lead single “3 Crow,” which femme/non-binary run music blog Audiofemme notes “blends Christina Perri-esque vocals with a calming effect akin to Lana Del Rey.” Additionally, WXPN’s The Key featured the “raw and emotional” single “Get To Know Someone” ahead Longley’s performance at City Winery Philadelphia, one of her last in-person shows before the COVID-19 pandemic caused venues across the country to close.
Having to postpone or cancel most of her touring plans, Longley has continued to find new ways to connect with fans, including a series of intimate and engaging live stream performances. After kicking off their “No-Contact” Series, the Nashville Scene praised her “stellar” and “outstanding” set, saying, “The nuanced songwriter and mellifluous singer has built up a mighty fan base. Some folks have been following her from stream to stream, and she spent the first couple of minutes of [the] set responding to their notes in the comment panel.” Longley also recently participated in American Songwriter‘s “Behind the Mic” live stream series, who lauded, “Liz Longley is a standout singer in a city that offers no shortage of superb singer/songwriters.”
In order to further extend opportunities to get to know her supporters, Longley will be launching a new partnership with Patreon tomorrow, Saturday, August 15. She will be inviting fans behind the scenes like never before, with access to unreleased songs, online meet and greets, the recording process of her next project, and so much more. Fans who join during the first two weeks will also get a signed copy of her upcoming Christmas EP.
Liz Longley’s Funeral For My Past Tracklisting:
1) Send You My Love
2) Feel It All Over
3) Fine
4) Funeral For My Past
5) Torture
6) 3 Crow
7) Finally High
8) Long Distance
9) Get To Know Someone
10) My Muse
11) Heart Of A Child