Leading up to the writing of her new album, Talking Walls, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lilly Winwood had all but resigned herself from continuing her music career. Burned out after her last album cycle and in the midst of a pandemic, Winwood took a job to pay the bills—but she couldn’t stop writing. She knew she was on the cusp of something important. “I’d be working in a restaurant all day and then at night, come 3 a.m., I’d be pulling half-written songs out of my apron,” she recalls. “Then it all came together.”
When Winwood decided to get sober, the floodgates opened. Talking Walls captures that tumultuous period, with Winwood literally “talking to the walls” as she looked inward with new purpose. Penned over long sleepless nights, with clear eyes and a willingness to ask tough questions, each song takes a different tack into the introspective wind, backed by a minimalist-roots sound. The now East Nashville-based artist (and daughter of Grammy-winning British rocker Steve Winwood) simply wrote her story and brought it to her band at Nashville’s Trace Horse studio—no producer needed.
Today, The Boot premiered “Brighter Days,” a swaggering, pedal-steel laden track showcasing Lilly’s soulful voice and the simple, organic feel that the band landed on in the studio. Praising the first single, The Boot said, “Americana standout Lilly Winwood is ready to soak up the moment.” Fans can listen to “Brighter Days” right here, check out the official video for Winwood’s previously released single, “Sleep Issues,” here, and pre-order or pre-save Talking Walls ahead of its August 26th release at this link. Winwood will be joining singer/songwriter Jackie Greene for a selection of late summer dates and will also be joining singer/songwriter Todd Snider for a selection of early fall dates. A full list of Winwood’s upcoming tour dates can be found below or at lillywinwood.org/shows.
Talking Walls Tracklist:
Sleep Issues
Good Old Days
Keep it Spinning
Long Haul
Airplane
A Paper Trail of Broken Hearts
Brighter Days
Idastoned
Laundry Day
More About Talking Walls: Likening the writing process behind Talking Walls to “painting with sound,” Lilly Winwood spent hours alone with just a guitar and a pen, getting to know herself and the world she’d long kept at arm’s length. No longer trying to impress anyone, each track features the weary sense of freedom that comes with letting down one’s guard—and the title itself speaks to that freedom. Part of the resilient ballad, “Long Haul,” Talking Walls is a tribute to how the songs were written, and the change they instilled.
“It’s an ode to letting people down—but for a good reason,” she says. “There’s a line that says ‘Learning how to read a room / By talking to the wall,’ and it was like trying to figure out how to be around people again…but I need to be myself first.”
Likewise, she mixes a steady throb of up-all-night angst with a gentle country-rock vibe of dreamy clarity in “Sleep Issues.” “Airplane” reaches new spiritual altitudes with its slide-guitar soul rock. “A Paper Trail of Broken Hearts” investigates the failed love of acid-trips gone by, and “Idastoned” uses 12-string guitar and bluesy vocals to create a jaunty blast of old-time pop.
Meanwhile, the album closing “Laundry Day” is both stained by heartbreak, and liberated by the end of a romantic cycle. Both heady and built around the most mundane of chores, it’s a fitting reminder that in this unpredictable world, hearts can wash clean when you least expect it – and so can creative souls.
“I want this to inspire people to keep going with their art,” Winwood says. “Even though it may seem like they’re not in a good space now, don’t give up on it. Keep talking to the walls.”
Catch Lilly Winwood On Tour:
Aug. 6 - Gowrie, IA - Bandshell Bash ‘22
Sept. 7 - Rocky Mount, VA - Harvester Performance Center*
Sept. 9 - Norfolk, CT - Infinity Hall Norfolk*
Sept. 10 - Fall River, MA - Narrows Center for the Arts*
Sept. 11 - Hartford, CT - Infinity Hall Hartford*
Sept. 13 - Albany, NY - The Egg - Swyer Theatre*
Sept. 15 - Fairfield, CT - StageOne*
Sept. 16 - Natick, MA - Center for Arts In Natick*
Sept. 17 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theatre*
Sept. 18 - Wilmington, DE - The Queen*
Oct. 13 - Sarasota, FL - Big Top Brewing Company
Oct. 14 - Bradenton, FL - Big Top Brewing Company
Oct. 20 - Rochester, NY - Abilene Bar & Lounge
Oct. 21 - New York, NY - The Bitter End
* = opening for Todd Snider
For all tour dates and ticket information, please visit lillywinwood.org/shows.
