A couple of years ago, Lissie put the wraps on a decade of living in California. She pulled up stakes and came back to her Midwestern roots by buying a farm in Iowa and settling down. It was a profound and personal journey that she chronicled beautifully on her 2016 release My Wild West. Fast forward two years to the recent news that she has a brand new album on the way (Castles, due out March 23), and longtime fans began asking the big question, "Would leaving the star-making music machine in California for the quiet, bucolic farm life of Iowa change the way she wrote her music?"

The answer is a resounding "Yes!", but not in the ways you might think. From a recent article in The Independent, Lissie herself notes:

"I went into the making of Castles very loosely and found myself really inspired working in a portable computer-based setting. The limitations of my home studio were actually a blessing. I was able to write a lot of the melodies on synths and beats, and added the organic elements afterwards. It was freeing to not be stuck behind my guitar the whole time. As I went on to work with other writers and producers on this record, I liked starting with a synth chord progression and working from there."

Wait, what? Lissie? Synthesizers?? Don't worry, her new album is neither a post-punk nor a new wave outing. In fact, Castles may be the most characteristically Lissie effort of her career. Despite her different approach to the songwriting, all the trademark elements are there. Beautiful guitar-driven melodies, those soaring, soulful vocals and all the honesty you can handle. This song should tell you everything you need to know.

Lissie's 'Best Days' is my DJ pick Of The Week.

Resources

Lissie - Official Site