july came and went like a summer storm. the kittens have all been adopted off my stoop. sometimes change reveals itself faster than i can keep upā¦
and yet, we march on
lyrics deep dive
moss unfurling** is one of my shorter songs. it opens up with some stunning textural embellishments before the lyrics begin:
leave one lover, though it hurts
go to another, prodigal return
a playful, self-deprecating jab compares me to the prodigal son, who was given great material fortune only to waste it on reckless impulse.
sitting alone on a boat launch and sequestered by a covid infection, my only source of comfort that afternoon was my dadās 80s ibanez. iād just left behind a new lover in chicago to visit an old one in my hometown.
but youād grow green with envy
if you smelled her swampy air
her name was lake martin. iād paddled through her waters countless times in unsophisticated vessels with even less sophisticated friends. i paint a picture of her verdancy and moisture, comparing her to the human waiting back in my home-away-from-home. tension builds then capitulates in a prayer:
i miss my baby like louisiana misses me
i miss my darlinā like i hope she misses me
when he came home, the prodigal son received redemption. i found mine at the end of a boat launch. i donāt believe in the b*ble, but i do believe in forgivenessā¦ i think thatās as close to god as iāll get
**this lyric was requested by a fan. you can pick the lyric next time! email hannahsandoz55@gmail.com or DM me on instagram to make a request
chicago show cal q+a
june 15, 2024. photo cred:
, @chicagoshowcal on instaāwhatās going on tonight? any good shows?ā
at this point, every local whoās involved in the music scene has hungrily browsed the chicago show calendar in search of inspiration for a night on the town. caroline patton created this living document where one can view the details of every event happening in chicago organized first by date, then by venue. this amazing resource comes at a price of free.99, but only dedicated superfans can access our exclusive q+a.
to hear my answers to 20 thought-provoking questions such as āfuck, kill, marry: the L, divvy bikes, metraā, youāll need to join the show pals membership. $8/mo. gets you access to a group chat of dedicated music nerds, regular meetups, a quarterly zine, mystery merch, + more. thatās cheaper than a cone at jeniās, and dare i say, even more delicious?
iām really grateful to caroline for including our interview on issue no. 1 of OPE, the chicago show calendar zine, and iām proud of her for manifesting this dream to fruition. maintaining a community resource takes an immense amount of money, time, and energy- so go show caroline and this project some love
critter-cally acclaimed
in advance of her s/t lp, sylvia sawyer james released āprayers to a turning pageā on july 3rd, 2024.
a lone fiddle asserts itself at the start, marking its territory with a cheeky flourish before an acoustic guitar explodes into crisp chords.
take me to a place
where even the water stains
and weāll run around with tie dye skin
so easy to blend in
the use of an open tuning sprinkles a steely pedal point throughout the track as sylviaās fingers bounce up and down voraciously. somewhere between a croon and a shout, her voice has an unrivaled candor to it with a penchant for subtle harmonies. the lyrics transport you to an idyllic place featuring fragmented childhood memories: sunburns on your shoulders, lakewater up your nose, mosquito bites on your ankles.
take me to a place
where the honeybees donāt die when they sting
weāll still bumble around with hearts on sleeves
no need to protect me
āprayersā¦ā is a bonafide barn-burner with an emotional edge. nothing short of jubilant, the vocal melody plunges and soars, weaving itself in and out of synchrony with the fiddle before, suddenlyā¦ the daydream ends.
if you enjoyed āprayers to a turning pageā, i highly recommend attending sylviaās album release show in logan square, chicago.
itāll be ācozy, intimate, and immersiveā, hosted in her own bedroom. her instagram is @sylviasawyerjames, dm for addy. if youāre not local or you canāt make it, buy her album on bandcamp or stream it on spotify. i guarantee youāve never heard anything like it.
pre-save my new epā¦ā¦.. if u dare?
Held and Holding (2024), oil on canvas, Julia Morrison
remember the sneak peek i sent when julia finished this painting last month? that feels like ages agoā¦ i paid a photographer to digitize the piece and i installed some hardware on the back for display. now, itās hanging up in my bedroom, just above the album art for Leaving the party early.
when i look at this painting, i see so much more than a sea of hands. i see juliaās care and love in every brushstroke. i see a visual representation of my sonic struggle. i see the end of one story, and the beginning of something new. this object is imbued with warmth and spiritual significance and i feel so safe just having it in my space.
the files have been uploaded to distrokid and bandcamp. the album is as finished as finished gets. now i just have to tell the world that iām making a piece of my soul available to the general public for free. dear reader, wonāt you pre-save my ep on spotify? wonāt you say a prayer for one of my PR pitches to be looked at by a real human journalist? wonāt you join me in turning this final worn page?
iāll sign off with the tagline for the album:
in the last two years iāve experienced profound chronic pain, forcing me to relearn how to care for others and let myself be cared for. these are my (our) stories.
i love you so much.
-hann