Brennan Wedl Is Not a Girl, She's a Freakazoid
Following the release of her first full length album for Anti-, the Minnesota-raised, Nashville-based songwriter is moving into a new chapter where authenticity reigns.
Brennan Wedl’s self-titled album has been years in the making. Not just the actual composition–the writing and recording–but the throughlines, which range from religion to abandonment of people-pleasing to embracing the weirdest parts of ourselves.
From the smooth shred of album opener “Scorpio” to the silly come up of “Let’s Be Models” to squeezing out one last drop of honesty on “When The Crazy Comes Out,” Wedl’s first full length album is a triumph, and one of the most anticipated alternative albums of the year. Paste called her the “next leading lady of Southern rock.” Laura Snapes at The Guardian quipped her songwriting is so “ironclad” she had to continue checking the credits to make sure the tracks weren’t actually Lucinda Williams covers. Nope–it’s all Wedl, who's been making stellar tunes for over a decade.
Dubbed “grungetry” by Wedl herself, this record’s signature sound has all the elements of a typical run of the mill country rock album, but executed on a far more sophisticated level: classic yet funky guitar solos, the soft, disconsolate wane of a pedal steel guitar, perfect vocal backing.
Talking about making the album, Wedl says Katie Crutchfield (of y'allternative juggernaut Waxahatachee) played a big role in putting the final tracklist together. Wedl spent years recording and releasing songs that would eventually make their way onto this album, and Crutchfield helped pare down from a list of 20 tracks to the album’s chosen 13, bringing attention to songs Wedl hadn’t necessarily considered to be album cuts. It was Crutchfield’s first project producing: Snail Mail’s Lindsay Jordan put her on to Wedl’s work, and it was Wedl’s “different level of songwriting” that moved her and indie heavyweight Brad Cook to take on the project. The whole thing came together over the course of 10 days at Cook’s studio in Durham, NC.
“She (Crutchfield) brought “Let’s Be Models” specifically to my attention again,” said Wedl. “That one was a little on the back burner and I was so glad she suggested we play around with it because I love playing that one live. It really inspired a really fun music video and an equally fun experience.”
To learn more about Wedl's process, her faith and queer identity, and her freakazoid tendencies, sign in or sign up for a paid subscription!
