Photo Credit: Anja Schtüz
On August 18th, 2023, Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Sandy Bailey, will release Daughter Of Abraham, her first LP with Red Parlor Records. Bailey’s sound has often been compared to a spectrum of acts, including Norah Jones, Patsy Cline, Susan Tedeschi and Patti Smith - yet she possesses a sound all her own. The upcoming ten-song collection, expertly produced by Bailey, showcases her signature sound, but with a bolder, more idiosyncratic attention to detail.
Each of the 10 profound, candid tracks on Daughter Of Abraham incorporates elements of gospel, blues, soul and classic Americana. The depth of her songwriting stems from her life and identity as a biracial woman and single mother who abandoned a Pentecostal upbringing in favour of a life of art-making and rock and roll.
The compelling title track is the story of an enslaved black man in 1859 walking north to freedom by starlight in the dark cover of night. “He almost forgot about the holes in his shoes when his stomach started growling,” she sings. The song is one of hope and survival, played to perfection with upright bass, subtle use of a baritone ukulele, a hauntingly reverberant piano and electric slide guitar. “Light of the day, my inner flame/I am weary, guide my way,” reflects Bailey on her own self-doubt, as she takes inspiration from Abraham and sings her way through her troubles.
Daughter Of Abraham includes performances by acclaimed musicians; guitarist Ryan Hommel (Amos Lee), bassist and engineer Marc Seedorf (Dinosaur JR, Lou Barlow), and drummer Don McAulay (The Rolling Stones, Neil Young) as well as neighbours, parents, coworkers, and even Bailey’s kids. It’s an alluringly moody, genre-defying album, alternating in tone between the laid-back cool of Bonnie Raitt and the no-fucks-given fire of Joni Mitchell, tempered with moments of genuine, heartbreaking vulnerability. Daughter of Abraham is the sound of a woman living a most authentic life.
FOLOW SANDY BAILEY