Stephanie Lambring: Heavy Things to Say
In Stephanie Lambring’s upcoming album, Autonomy, delicate melodies combine with bare-faced lyrics forged in fire to deliver a haunting punch in the gut as the singer/songwriter reemerges after a long hiatus away from her music career. Bareknuckle truths are expertly folded into masterful lyrics aimed at ripping apart the societal cages that bind the modern woman. With topics ranging from sexuality, failed marriages, eating disorders, suicide, and the hypocrisy that often accompanies organized religion, no subject is sacred. Autonomy will be released into the wild October 23rd, and leaves the listener examining shared hurts ages old, as well as the sometimes questionable ethics of personal moral codes.
Hailing from Seymour, Indiana, Stephanie moved to Nashville in 2006 and began working with other talented up and coming Americana artists such as Lori McKenna and Hailey Whitters. After a few years in Tennessee, and feeling the prick of the constraints of her publishing deal, Lambring took five years away from music, now returning with an album made under her own terms, according to the artist’s own bio.
Photo by Brandi Potter
When asked what specifically she’d like to highlight about the album and those who helped bring it to fruition, she gives major credit to the support she received from producer Teddy Morgan. “Making this record with [Teddy] was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done,” she says. “He and I spent eight months building the tracks, giving them space to breath, and letting the songs tell us what they did and didn’t need. Teddy’s patience, enthusiasm, and care for the record and the process helped restore my confidence as a writer and a musician. I cried on the day it was mastered. I didn’t want it to be over.”
When describing the album itself, Lambring says, “The record is a thing of life for me. After I left my publishing deal, I was afraid I’d never be inspired to write again. Coming back with a collection of songs I wrote by myself about things that move me and make me think has been incredibly healing. Freeing. I’m excited to share it.”
We wholeheartedly agree with Lambring’s sentiments. The shared hurts and ugly truths highlighted in the album tracks produce a gut-wrenching, cathartic effect that is sometimes difficult for the listener to grapple with as it causes us to examine beliefs and opinions we may not have been aware we were clinging to. As a grown woman listening to “Pretty,” I wanted to magically step into the song and back in time to hug the little girl wondering if she’d ever feel as if she were worthy of the affection of others. Early in the song, this persona is embodied by a young Stephanie sitting cross legged and wearing a tiara, staring solemnly up at us from the album cover. By the end of the tune, most of us will recognize ourselves and our daughters vividly portrayed in the lyrics culminating in a bittersweet healing that takes place when we realize we were never alone in wondering if we’d ever feel good enough.
The hits just keep coming throughout the rest of the album, with “Mr. Wonderful” perfectly bulletpointing the little red flags associated with an abusive relationship while whispering to us that we’re not alone in the human experience. In “Little White Lie,” Lambring delves deep, not into losing a specific significant other, but instead into the disillusionment that often accompanies a failed marriage. The stark realization that, “everything I wanted, I never wanted at all,” serves to highlight the pain associated with realizing your spirit wasn’t built for the wedding and marriage dreamed of in youth. The lyrics grieve for the loss of that innocent dream, but not for the man himself on the other end of the failed relationship, and that is an important distinction.
In “Fine,” Lambring takes an off the cuff and more upbeat look at not allowing the expectations of others to cause us to make anxiety-driven decisions that aren’t in our own best interests and asks listeners, “If I never get married, is there something wrong with me?”
In “Old Folks Home,” Lambring deftly wraps a protest song in a softly haunting melody, discreetly leaving a call to action with listeners to remember to love the forgotten old souls in our lives.
No matter the subject matter, each individual song is designed to encourage us to examine questions of our own morality regarding sensitive and controversial topics. In a culture where we tend to pride ourselves on being the most just, the most ethical, these ideas can sometimes be difficult to wrestle with. Good art always pushes the boundaries, tests the limits, and urges us out of our comfort zone. This is how we heal. This is how we grow.
Lambring has come roaring back on the scene with heavy things to say, and we’re all better for it.
Find out more about Stephanie here: