Roving jewel: Angela Autumn comes to Franklin
Angela Autumn will play Franklin Oct. 12.
File photo
Raised in the small town of Zelienople, Pennsylvania (pop: 3,769), singer-songwriter Angela Autumn recalled having an isolated childhood, one that was “very intermingled with nature.” By the early 2000s, as an elementary school kid first hopping onto the internet, Autumn was able to access world culture and trends — more specifically, music and its endless rabbit hole.
“[From there], I asked my parents for guitar lessons at age nine,” Autumn said. “We didn’t have many neighbors, just a country church nearby. And nobody I knew sang or played. Music created a pathway for me to eventually leave my rural home and join the forces of the larger gambit.”
Since leaving the starting line of her hometown, it has been a meandering, whirlwind of a continued journey for Autumn. Ricocheting from coast to coast and seemingly everywhere in-between, she purposely wandered toward the unknown horizon — this eternal quest for adventure and artistry.
“As a teenager I sometimes busked, traveled to odd fairs with my ska band and got into folk music later,” Autumn said. “It was all just following a thread from the books I’d read about my favorite artists.”
That ever-unfolding road of trials and tribulations, of kaleidoscope tones and hard-earned truths eventually led Autumn to opening slots for the likes of Shovels & Ropes and singing with Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats. To which, five years ago, Autumn took the leap and moved to Nashville to chase her destiny.
“They say Nashville is a 10-year town [for success],” Autumn noted. “[But], I can say that within the five [years] I’ve lived here, I’ve truly had the most remarkable time.”
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Ultimately, Autumn wants her albums to “stand the test of time, and to be able to stand alone as a woman making music and taking risks.”
“I want to represent the gifted minds of my collaborators because they’ve believed in and trusted me,” she said. “It’s good they embrace a holistic musical expression, because what I’m doing is not necessarily commercially successful [for Nashville].”
When one tries to explain Autumn’s music, it’s nearly impossible, which is a compliment to her unique voice and the sonic landscape by which she inhabits. Alt-country. Roots-rock. Shoegaze. Indie-folk. If anything, it’d be a disservice to the melodies to say they’re one genre or another. Beyond being a talented lyricist and performer, Autumn is simply one thing — an artist of true passion and genuine purpose, traversing this earth and sharing her world with us.
“Songs often come [to me] in batches. And a sort of ‘portal’ opens, if you will. Three at a time. Most of the time I’m outside, in a more static and relaxed state,” Autumn said. “I consider these times to be crucial. Some songs come out fully-formed and others do not. So, I sit with them, and then they tell me if they want a chorus or not.”
And it’s the live realm that truly showcases the essence of Autumn. Her songs evoke such deep, vivid emotions, especially during “Electric Lizard,” a number that easily provokes the repeat button. If anything, Autumn’s tunes are beautifully haunting and utterly captivating — the way all timeless music is.
“Bit the bullet, I bit it so I/Could chew on the shrapnel, and to decide,” Autumn rings out on “Electric Lizard.” “Where my soul and spirit reside/If it’s not with you, darling, I might as well die.”
“Performing with others has been my favorite journey. Writing songs seems to be a personal mystical experience, whereas live spaces are meant to be interactive, mutable, and contain the dualism of personality,” Autumn said. “I recently began incorporating pedals and electric guitar, along with the banjo. But, yeah, definitely enjoying grooving more nowadays rather than coloring within any lines.”
When asked about what she thinks on the role of the songwriter in the digital age — this current societal juncture of incessant white noise and seemingly endless distraction — Autumn views the songwriter as someone who encompasses multiple roles today, onstage or in your headphones.
“[Songwriters] definitely have a responsibility that is greater than before — to offer people a sonic space in which they can process their experiences,” Autumn said. “Our responsibility might be to drag people out of their dissociated technological spaces and create an intentional community around song and shared human experiences.”
Want to go?
Rising singer-songwriter Angela Autumn will hit the stage at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Yonder Community Market in Franklin.
From May through October, the YCM hosts one show each month on its White Oak Stage. All concerts are free with a suggested donation of $20 (the offering plate gets passed around during the performance). Kid-friendly. Dog-friendly. Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed.
During the show, the YCM is open to sell drinks, snacks and provisions for you to enjoy while listening to the music. As well, there is a special “Country Thursdays” showcase at 6 p.m. weekly. That event is also free and open to the public.
For more information, call 828.200.2169 or visit eatrealfoodinc.com.
