Lisa Bouchelle

"Some artists write when they’re happy,” says Lisa Bouchelle. “Some write when they’re down and out. I write every single day, and that’s why I think this album encompasses so much: the joy and the pain, the hope and the doubt, the bitter and the sweet. That’s life.” On her intoxicating new album, Vandals, Thieves & Lovers, Bouchelle grapples with the full spectrum of the human experience, balancing darkness and light in equal measure as she navigates her way through love, loss, loneliness, and liberation. Recorded with a host of special guests including Amanda Shires, Larry Campbell, Jake Clemons, and Waddy Wachtel, the collection takes a similarly wide - ranging sonic approach, drawing on folk, country, rock, blues, gospel, soul, and funk as it weaves together the disparate threads of American roots music into a captivating, cohesive whole. Add it all up and you’ve got a timeless work that’s as indebted to Laurel Canyon and Bakersfield as Memphis and Motown, a raw, revelatory exploration of survival and resilience that showcases just how far Bouchelle has come, and, just as importantly, where she’s headed. “Vandals, thieves, and lovers all leave their mark on you, whether you like it or not,” she reflects. “Some of them hurt you, some of them steal from you, and some of them gift you with more than you could have ever imagined. In a lot of ways, that’s what these songs are all about:what life takes and what life gives.”