GLORIA ANDERSON

Households - Debut EP Release Party w/ Michelle Raybourn

Thursday March 23, 2023

@ Mockingbird Theater in Franklin, TN

(Review by: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Since releasing her debut single, “Yours,” singer-songwriter Gloria Anderson has forged her path, paving solid steps on the back of very well-received songs and renowned performances where she aptly won over the crowd one melody at a time.

The culmination of her hard work, and those road-tested pieces of her artistry, have now arrived with her debut EP Households; a 6-song collection that the small-town Texas native teased with three songs ahead of its official release, creating a buzzworthy flow that attracted an exuberant crowd to her release party this past Thursday night at The Mockingbird Theater in Franklin, TN.

Her calculated blending of Appalachian country with touches of bluegrass flare and singer-songwriter vibes gives her an Americana inspired roots infused sound that attractively pulls together her storyteller aura as she jaw-droppingly displayed for the uber receptive crowd.

The cool atmosphere within the venue perfectly accented the overall feel of the evening, adding a looming character to the show as the dark brick walls and blue hue cascading over the stage combined with the theater styled seating to add a throwback classiness reminiscent of entertainment’s golden era.

Opening act Michelle Raybourn kicked off the night with a bluegrass trio performance that ignited the enthusiasm of the crowd as she showed off the stark signatures that define who she is as an artist and songwriter.

Whether leaning into stellar three-part harmonies through the knee slapping rhythm of “Church Pew,” tipping into the dusty flare of a bluegrass tinged Wild West on “Never Stop Running,” tugging at hearts through the softening pace of  “Wildfire Woman,” or leading a rousing sing along when she closed her set with the toe-tapping drive of the hook laden “Good Company,” Raybourn used her half hour timeslot to do exactly what a great direct support act needs to; highlighting who they are through only a small taste, while injecting the hype and energy into the crowd for the headlining act.

That said, an obvious highlight of Raybourn’s set came when she dipped a moodier flare into “Old Faithful,” not only spotlighting her powerfully gifted voice as she drove it through its impressive registers, but also earning a huge ovation when she mentioned that she co-wrote the song with Gloria Anderson.

With just a simple “Hey y’all” as she fine tuned her guitar while the 6-piece band behind her readied their positions, Gloria Anderson metaphorically stuck the key in her diary and unlocked it as she instantly had everyone in the venue tapping their toes and bobbing their heads as she impressed with incredible vocals and a stage presence that captivated the audience, opening her set with “Wildwood Baby.”

“Thank you so much for being here tonight,” Anderson gushed humbly. “This is a song I wrote in my bedroom when I was kind of in that place where I didn’t really know where I was going next,” she transparently shared as she softened the pace to allow the natural built-in hush within her voice to carry the wandering lyric of pressing in and stepping into the unknown that the twists and turns of life inevitably hit you with to teach you lessons along the way on “Road to Wisdom.”

“I released a song about two years ago now called “Yours,” Gloria said as the crowd lit up with excitement. “This was the first song that I had ever released, and it ended up doing really well. I’m so grateful to all of those who are here tonight for streaming it,” she said thankfully, dipping back into where her journey began as she poetically hit into the emotional tilt of her voice to deliver the gut punch of unrequited love.

Throwing her sound back to a classic country kissed flare that wrapped around a two-stepping melody, she caught everyone’s attention when she unraveled another layer of her arsenal on “Marry Montana,” a song she introduced as being a little silly as she shared that her true dream in life was to become and old lady, live in Montana, make cookies, and have horses.

“I’m gonna play the first new song that I have coming out later tonight,” she said as the crowd erupted in cheers at the loose mention of her Households EP. “When we lived in Colorado Springs, I remember my parents having their dream floorplans spread out everywhere. And then when I got to Belmont and sat at my own kitchen table, I got to thinking what my dream house would look like,” she finished as the cry of the fiddle set the prayer like storyteller vibe over Anderson’s soft strum during the intro of “Front Porch,” as she weaved us through picture painting, thought provoking lyrics that examined what her house in heaven will look like as she mused about the incredible front porch crafted by the same hands that made the entire world.

“I started all these songs with just me and my guitar so I thought I’d do a few of them that way,” said Gloria as she took us straight into the writing room with her on “Namesake,” a touching tribute to her grandmother that provided a show stopping moment when her grandma had been Face Timed in to be part of the song as the entire room fell to a complete silence, leaning in to soak up every word.

Continuing to utilize the insatiable hush of her vocal, Anderson reminiscently brought us through her lifetime of memories and biggest coming of age moments on “Like She Does (The Car Song),” taking us into her comfort space inside her first hand-me-down car as she spoke of broken hearts, first dates, her biggest dreams, and the curse words that she shared in the confines between those two doors.

“I wrote this one a few weeks ago, and it’s for the person who sticks around through it all,” she told with a smile as the hum at the beginning of “Sage Brush Soulmate” set the folksy rhythm in motion as Gloria continued to impress with her storyteller lyrics and amazing control of her vocal as she raised it at precise moments to emphasize specific phrasing while softening its tone as she basked in the unbelievability of someone truly standing by her side.

With her full band now returning to the stage, Gloria recalled, “I had my first ever full band show here at the Mockingbird, so I thought it was appropriate to bring this show back here tonight,” she finished as the band counted into “In Texas,” a groove heavy bop that provided a red dirt influence within its rhythm during this ode to her small town Texas upbringing as she told her story of leaving there to pursue her dream, while often still thinking about those small town slowdowns during the craziness of her current day to day.

Staying firmly planted in her Texas roots, Anderson popped into a Texas swing inspired melody that sat in the pocket of a soft two-step on “Where the Swing Bands Are Hired,” a song perfectly built for a Friday night honky-tonk with sawdust covered hardwood floors and the sound of boot heels clicking along in perfect timing.

“So, this is a true story,” said Gloria as she swayed along while the guitar lick slid into a hip popping groove and the bass had the entire crowd thumping toes off the cement floors, “you can ask my mom after the show,” she slyly said with a laugh as she drove us through the ultra-memorable lyric of “San Marcos River,” resonating with everyone in the crowd who’s experienced a worrisome mother as she told her innocent story of seemingly going missing through the lens of the age old notion, “you’re probably in a ditch on the side of the road somewhere.” 

Branding a folksy stamp on “Lighthouse” through its harmonic laced intro, Anderson pushed the moodiness of the lyric as she sang an open letter directly to her birth state of South Carolina while continuously building the melody stronger and stronger, leading to the pure punch of the chorus as she confidently staked claim that her and Charleston would meet again in person soon. 

“This is dedicated to all the songwriters that are here tonight,” encouraged Anderson as she leaned into the float on the breeze feel of “Small Town Big Time Stars,” utilizing her story of boldly chasing after her own music dreams, while expertly connecting it to everyone else's story as she struck the right chords in the hearts of dreamers who are just like her.

Allowing plenty of room for each band member to show off a bit, the brooding mood and darker tones of “Owl Hollow” allowed Anderson to inject her vocals with grit and swampiness that upheld the cheated on, getting revenge, murderous romp that she co-wrote with Hannah Noel.

Putting an exclamation point on an amazing night, Anderson closed her show with the ultra-personal title track of her EP, “Households,” taking us into the stories that only the walls on her childhood home could tell as she metaphorically reinserted the key back into her diary, closing it tightly, and locking it back up as the final notes were played and the crowd let out a deafening ovation.

When a singer-songwriter exudes the confidence that Gloria Anderson showed on stage, then the crowd stays completely invested from start to finish, inching closer and closer to the edge of their seat as each next song was met with a heightened enthusiasm.

Cleverly wrapped underneath this perfectly laid out hour and twenty-minute set, Anderson craftily hyped the buzz for her Households EP (which released mere hours later), while putting a bright spotlight on who she is and where she comes from, but also masterfully adding her name to the artist to watch radar in the right here, right now!

FULL SET LIST

1) Wildwood Baby

2) Road To Wisdom

3) Yours

4) Marry Montana

5) Front Porch

6) Namesake

7) Like She Does (The Car Song)

8) Sage Brush Soulmate

9) In Texas

10) Where the Swing Bands Are Hired

11) San Marcos River

12) Lighthouse

13) Small Town Big Time Stars

14) Owl Hollow

15) Households
 

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