I had the great fortune to stumble upon Juliet McConkey while at Mile 0 Fest 2020 at Durty Harry’s bar where she and her boyfriend, James Steinle, were sharing the stage. I was surrounded by the likes of Jamie Lin Wilson and Omar Oyoque of Mike and The Moonpies and another writer from The Amp, Stephanie Blackburn, so I knew I was in good company and that this would probably be a good show. And it was. I was struck not just by her voice, but by the skill of her songwriting. Near the end of their set, she had announced that she was going to be releasing a new album this year, and I knew that this would be a must-have!

Now for those not familiar with Juliet and her work, she was born and raised in central Virginia, deep in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Juliet McConkey has always possessed a deep understanding of nature and interpersonal relationships that only comes from a rural upbringing. That is articulated sincerely and thoughtfully in her songwriting. 

Since relocating to Texas in the summer of 2018 she has entered the regional scene with nothing short of a meteoric ascent. She was the winner of the Blue Light Singer/Songwriter Competition in 2018 (which took place at the legendary venue in Lubbock, Texas). This has garnered high praise and respect from her fellow musicians in the Texas music scene. Since then she has cut her teeth performing weekly residencies at storied Texas institutions such as Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos and Riley’s Tavern in New Braunfels.

Her new album entitled Disappearing Girl is a collection of nine songs that were entirely written by Juliet and this means a lot to me, especially for a first album. You really get to peer into both the artist’s heart and soul. And you get to see the world how they perceive it. This helps me know and relate to the artist, and I think that Juliet has really bared her soul on this work.

The title track “Disappearing Girl” starts with Juliet singing acapella. And what an opening! Her voice is strong, clear, but not overpowering. It grabs your attention and what she says makes you know there is more to this than is plainly evident at first.

“On a pine / On a hillside / A rose-colored ribbon unfurls”

This song is yet another example of the resurgence of the murder ballad which more artists are rediscovering. After that intro she is joined by acoustic guitar, bass and drums. Some might call it a slow dance, but that’s just its pace. This song so captures your attention that you don’t want to dance, you want to listen to the story. I especially love the allegory of the rose-colored ribbon. You can see this as being both a body marker, as it is meant in this story, or as being a double entendre of how blood leaves the body and trickles off.

In the next song “Deep End,” Juliet chooses to use a fuller band sound and, musically, the drums have a stronger presence. The subject matter is something that seems far too familiar, how drinking and drugs and their effects seem to go hand in hand with being a professional musician; from band breakups, failed marriages, and death from overdose. The chorus is, initially, like a good conversation, but later it's haunting after you have heard the song all the way through and understand the situation. 

“Old Friend, how’s the living in the deep end? / Have your troubles drowned, / Or do they still float around like you do, in this town?”

In the song, the narrator is visiting with an old friend who is living in the deep end. The tone is of two friends catching up. In it she apologizes to her friend saying,

“You and I would tie one on sometimes / Makes me wonder if I helped you lose the fight / I guess I could have done a little better / At making sure you were keeping it together / I hope you finally took it easy / If I failed you please forgive me”

The meaning of the title “Deep End” isn’t made known to the listener until near the end of the song, and I won’t place those lyrics here. No spoilers. You’ll just have to listen to the song yourself. And please do, you won’t be disappointed.

“I’ve Got a Dollar” is such a healthy perspective on how we see ourselves and, more importantly, others. And how we react and treat one another. As Juliet says in the chorus,

“I don’t know what we’re so afraid of / Ain’t flesh and blood what we’re all made of / Nothing that I can say or do / Makes me superior to you / Or any worse / But I’ve got a dollar in my purse.”

The song itself is the situation that we sometimes run into as we pass a busker on the street, but it really can apply to anyone we pass when out in public who is different or in different circumstances than we are, and how we react to them.

The first verse is: “Sandpaper sidewalk in the city / Cardboard sign that reads “God Bless” / Five-gallon drum made out of plastic / You can figure out the rest / I’ve got a dollar in my purse / But I’m scared to look him in the eye / So he plays the rhythm of my footsteps / As I keep on walking by.”

The question she appears to be asking is “why are we so afraid to engage with this person?” And really, at a deeper level, we must end up asking ourselves “how would we feel if we were in their same situation?” Wouldn’t we feel more alone than we really are? And what does this say about simple human dignity where we can pass another soul without any type of basic recognition or interaction? Just some thoughts to ponder.

From a musical perspective, the song is an acoustic piece with guitar, upright bass, organ, and drums. It’s a slow two-step beat. Which, on multiple levels, is very appropriate for this song.

“Tempered Hands” - WOW! This song has layers that I could spend days peeling back. It’s a slow piece. Not a song for dancing but for listening intently. While the instrumentation is piano, organ, and upright bass, it's Juliet’s voice that is dominant over all else. Her skills as a singer really don’t just shine, they leap out at you. The cornerstone idea of this song is how life wears us down until we are so numb to the pain that we just don’t feel it anymore. In her lyrics she asks an important question about this,

“Is pain as temporary as they say? / Or do we become numb waiting for it to go away?” 

This is where the tempo of the song is seen to reflect how this happens over life, and how long that life can feel. The protagonist of the song is a mother who has been run down by life, but is reassuring her daughter that all this pain is no big deal. The line that gets me is the mother’s response to an ungrateful husband’s criticism.

“I’ve got a tempered mind / It’s really no big deal / The words that used to hurt / Now I hardly feel.”

DAMN! That’s some rough stuff.

 “Good Times on the Horizon” is one of those songs that counterbalances a lot of the hard times sentiment found in many country songs. And from that perspective, it fits well where it sits on the album. The song is a slow dance, best shared with your significant other, especially after a long, hard day. The story starts with the subject of the story getting laid off, but instead of lamenting her situation, she counts her blessings. She talks about her faith and being married to a good, hardworking man. The chorus is, frankly, a great mantra to tell yourself when the world gets you down.

“I’m telling you / There ain’t no need for crying / We’ll see this through / There’s good times on the horizon.”

Overall, many artists who have been at this for years would kill to make an album this good. And Juliet did it on her first try. Disappearing Girl is filled with great storytelling, amazing songs, solid musicianship, and one lady with an incredible voice and a VERY bright future. Juliet, keep up the great work and soon you will be in the same pantheon of great women country singers like Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Tanya Tucker, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton.

Find more about Juliet McConkey here:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Spotify