“hypnotic” — American Songwriter
“The blend of cuttingly honest lyrics, a stunning string section, and viola…creates an atmosphere of dizzying contemplation.” — Wide Open Country
“Luce’s voice has a fascinatingly beautiful quality, which compels you to affectingly feel every single syllable she sings.” — Atwood Magazine
Lydia Luce has revealed a new music video for “Tangerine” off her debut LP, Azalea, which released last fall. The video is premiering at The Bluegrass Situation today, and of the track, Luce offers, “The narrator is comparing themselves to this enchanting Tangerine character who she assumes has this great power of seduction that she doesn’t have. In the bridge she is asking her lover, ‘If I were more like her, would you look at me the same way?’” “Tangerine” evokes similar raw and honest emotions as Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” and the video channels that emotion into striking dance choreography that is a product of Luce’s collaboration with Erin Kouwe of the Nashville Ballet. The artistically stunning visual arrives ahead of a string of spring tour dates that begin March 29 in New Orleans and include a hometown show in Nashville on March 31 presented by WRLT’s Lightning 100 (full tour details below).
WATCH: Lydia Luce’s “Tangerine” Music Video
Born into a musical family, Luce’s first instrument was viola, and by age 13 she was performing in her mother’s orchestra. She studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and earned a master’s degree in viola performance from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). For Azalea, Luce tapped producers Jordan Lehning (Rodney Crowell, Joshua Hedley) and Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes Earle, Rayland Baxter) to combine her classical training with Americana and folk influences for a collection that feels organic and comfortable in a way that only lifelong talent can create. American Songwriter calls the music “hypnotic,” and Wide Open Country adds, “The blend of cuttingly honest lyrics, a stunning string section, and viola…creates an atmosphere of dizzying contemplation.” Additionally, Atwood Magazine praises, “Luce’s voice has a fascinatingly beautiful quality, which compels you to affectingly feel every single syllable she sings.”
LISTEN: Lydia Luce’s Debut LP Azalea Out Now
Luce recently announced an Azalea Strings EP, available May 24, that features instrumental and live quintet versions of select songs from the original full-length. Last week, she released the first of several double singles, which comprises two new renditions of album standout “Helen.” “Helen – (String Sessions)” was recorded live at Layman Drug Company with a string quintet, and “Helen (Instrumental)” replaces the vocal lines with viola performances by Luce. Of the forthcoming EP, Luce offers, “Strings were such a beautiful and important part of Azalea, and I wanted to share this part of me with everyone who enjoyed the record.”
LISTEN: Lydia Luce’s “Helen – (String Sessions)” Streaming Now
Lydia Luce On Tour:
March 29 – Santos – New Orleans, LA (Tickets)
March 30 – Stone Cup Cafe – Chattanooga, TN (Tickets)
March 31 – 3rd & Lindsley – Nashville, TN (Tickets)
April 2 – Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC (Tickets)
April 3 – Eddie’s Attic – Atlanta, GA (Tickets)
April 4 – Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC (Tickets)
April 5 – Pour House Deck – Charleston, SC (Free Show)
April 6 – Jack Rabbit’s – Jacksonville, FL (Tickets)
April 7 – Murray Theatre – Clearwater, FL (Tickets)