Breakout Americana artist Brennan Wedl is making waves with her raw, honest songwriting, culminating in her critically acclaimed self-titled album. The 29-year-old’s music, characterized by its radiant melodies and tough, hooky sound, draws comparisons to genre titans like Lucinda Williams and Sheryl Crow, while possessing a unique edge that has captivated listeners and collaborators alike.
Wedl, speaking from her Nashville home, described her approach to songwriting on the new record as an earnest examination of daily life, a quality she admires in artists like Lucinda Williams. Her music often delves into complex emotional territory, exploring themes of self-perception, past relationships, and the interplay between reality and fantasy. “It’s a very harsh look at reality, but also about how our minds can create so much fantasy around reality,” Wedl explained about her song “Just Another Daddy Who Did Me Wrong.” “I’m working on not projecting too much on reality these days.”
A Unique Creative Partnership
The self-titled album was a collaborative effort, produced by Katie Crutchfield, known as Waxahatchee, and her long-time producer Brad Cook. Crutchfield expressed her immediate fascination with Wedl’s voice, calling it “immediately iconic, so timeless and confident.” She recalled hearing an early version of “Two Dollar Pistol,” a track about ambition, and being struck by Wedl’s ability to craft “huge melodies that can be played in arenas.” This marked Crutchfield’s debut as a producer, a role she embraced after being introduced to Wedl’s music by Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail.
Themes of Self-Discovery and Communication
Wedl attributes the fully realized sound of her third solo release to a deeper understanding of herself. The album blends newly written material with songs from her twenties, creating a dialogue across different versions of herself. “It’s a lot about communicating between various versions of you, time-travel with music; conversations with the unknown, dialogue with large themes like the man, God, Jesus, the trope of ‘daddy’,” she stated.
Her upbringing in Missouri, within a religious Catholic family, has also informed her perspective. Unlike many artists who reject their religious roots, Wedl has found a way to integrate her experiences. “I’m really grateful to have seen a lot of different sides of the Catholic church,” she said, acknowledging both the devotion of nuns and the church’s darker aspects. Inspired by family members who have adapted Christianity to their own beliefs, Wedl incorporates a “pagan twist” into her adult life.
From Riot Grrrl to Nashville
Wedl’s musical journey began early, discovering riot grrrl at age 12 and finding parallels between the punk ethos and the church’s communal spirit. Growing up in Minnesota, she was influenced by local legends like The Jayhawks, The Replacements, and Prince. She played music with her uncle and her first band, Sex Education, before heading to Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, she co-founded the queercore group Dazey and the Scouts, who later gained a cult following on TikTok.
Wedl acknowledged the dual nature of platforms like TikTok, noting their ability to connect people through art, even with their downsides. Music, for Wedl, has been a crucial tool for self-understanding. Her song “Pretty Little Fantasy” challenges the perception of her as merely “somebody’s daughter… prim and proper.” She reflected on shedding the self-imposed pressure to be “delightful,” a mask she wore to avoid confronting her own issues. “I think ‘delightful’ is the mask I wore out of not dealing with my own shit – and so if I was a delight, no one would have to investigate further.”
Leadership and Personal Growth
On stage and in her personal life, Wedl has cultivated a confidence that extends to her leadership within her musical projects. She shared a humorous anecdote about previously employing two bass players to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings, highlighting her journey toward self-assuredness and respectful decision-making. “Being the leader of a band is a constant crash course in people-pleasing, self-assuredness and respect, and I’m so grateful that I get to learn these huge life lessons through music,” she commented.
Wedl also credits her sobriety, achieved through various 12-step programs, with facilitating this personal growth. Reflecting on her past struggles with alcohol, she noted, “When I was drinking, I was really focused on the next time I was gonna do that, who was gonna be there – this mental obsession with the wrong things.” Sobriety, for Wedl, didn’t eliminate problems but brought clarity, allowing her to reconnect with her passion for songwriting as a means of expressing what she couldn’t articulate otherwise.
The Power of Songwriting
For Wedl, songwriting remains a profound way to communicate with the unseen and to manifest desires. “What we want to bring into this reality can be done with pen and paper a lot of the time. It’s really magical,” she concluded. Her ability to channel her experiences into compelling narratives and unforgettable melodies has established her as a significant new voice in Americana music.
