Erika Lewis – A Walk Around The Sun (Self-Released)
Erika Lewis, the former vocalist for Tuba Skinny, recorded the songs from her latest solo effort, A Walk Around The Sun, just before undergoing surgery in 2020 that could have damaged her vocal cords and effectively end career as a musician. It should come as little surprise then that the record is brimming with emotion. Across 11 tracks, she sings of love, joy, heartbreak, grief and longing, and all of the sentiments that go along with those feelings. Between poignant lyrics and Lewis’ evocative vocals it’s a remarkably strong album and a testament to surviving.
The record’s first single “Loser,” is a template for most of the other songs here. She wrote it after moving away from New Orleans, leaving behind romantic relationships and the confusion around what happened, heartbreak and uncertainty. Those themes pop up in song after song on A Walk Around The Sun, yet there is an optimism that shades the album and keeps it from simply being a collection of tears in my beer heartache ballads. “Unsatisfied,” for example, one of the obvious standout tracks here, is a confidant almost indie roots rocker about nightlife in New Orleans. While it may come off a little dark thanks to the bass throughout, the lyrics are uncompromisingly confident.
There is pedal steel and fiddle throughout the record, but that doesn’t simply tie it to Americana. Lewis slips in and out of genres seamlessly, from country to folk to dreamy pop. Produced by John James Tourville (who plays pedal steel and fiddle in The Deslondes) and recorded in Nashville, A Walk Around The Sun is a powerful tribute to having your heart broken but making it through to the other side.
Enjoy our interview of Erika Lewis, here: Interview: Erika Lewis Weaves a Basket of Music
Find her music here: https://erikalewismusic.bandcamp.com/