Song Premiere: Single Girl, Married Girl “Secret”

Single Girl, Married Girl “Secret”

Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Single Girl, Married Girl’s song ‘Secret” from their upcoming release Three Generations of Leaving.  The album was produced, recorded and mixed by Tom Gardner of Rift Studios with additional recording by Pierre de Reeder at 64 Sound.  It was mastered by Joe Lambert and carries photography by Anna Azarov and album design by Jonna Isaac.

This album is dedicated to the memory of Michelle Levine and is scheduled for release on November 19.

Musicians on the album are Chelsey Coy (vocals and banjo); Shannon Söderlund (harmonies and background vocals); Charlie Rauh (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); John Gray (upright bass, electric bass)and Oskar Häggdahl (drums, percussion).   Also appearing on the album are Haruka Horii (violin); Callie Galvez (cello); Philip Kronengold (organ); Thad DeBrock (pedal steel and baritone guitar); Mary Lattimore (harp); and Burt Levine (banjo).

This album is a concept album that carries a weight of intrigue.   This song, “Secret” is at the heart of it, as it explores the pressure of keeping a significant secret, with trilly country style vocals and a relatable groove and lots of fancy instrumental layers.

Three Generations of Leaving chronicles the trials and traumas of three generations of women from the same family. Spanning several decades, it begins with the religious matriarch of the family being abandoned by her husband and children, and then follows one of the daughters as she flees from one bad situation to the next, and a granddaughter, who is estranged from her mother and looking inward for answers.

Each of the women are of their time: the grandmother a rural 1950s housewife and homemaker devoted to her husband, the daughter a rebellious teen of the 1960s who survives and flees several bad relationships and a religious cult, and the granddaughter an urban, introspective, but troubled young woman grappling with unrealistic expectations and societal standards in a digital world.

“Secret” picks up several years after “So She Runs,” with the mother running from an unhealthy relationship, and hiding her pregnancy from her former partner. The secret is the unborn child, but also the unspoken pent-up ugly sentiment towards the man she never loved. The mother is emotionally immature and avoids conflict, unlike her estranged daughter.

“Secret” was inspired by various Phil Spector-produced pop songs of the 1960s and ‘70s, as well as by the driving rock songs of Bruce Springsteen of the 1980s.

When I wrote the hook, I knew it had to be about holding back a secret. Maybe it’s my religious upbringing, but I have a hard time lying when faced with a direct question… I’m an over-explainer and holding things back is not my strong suit. Like many of the songs, this one took on new meaning when my husband and songwriting partner, Gary Knight, was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to keep it to himself (he didn’t even want to tell his mother). I urged him to open up to others so that he could have support from people that loved him and cared about him (outside of me, of course). Ultimately this led to the most kindness we have seen in our entire lives… and we really needed that during one of the darkest times of our lives. — Chelsey Coy

Single Girl, Married Girl’s music is available here, including a pre-save for Three Generations of Leaving.

https://ffm.to/singlegirlmarriedgirl_threegenerationsofleaving