Tenille Townes marks a sonic shift in her music with the release of new single – As You Are – out now.
Tenille Townes, award winning and revered singer-songwriter, has released a new single, ‘As You Are.’ The track marks a sonic shift for Townes, it was recorded in Seattle with studio legend Ryan Hadlock who’s worked with everyone from Afghan Whigs to Brandi Carlile, and is a powerful introduction to a new era for the singer.
‘As You Are’ begins with just a bright acoustic guitar, accompanying her solo vocal, which rasps and arrests with every note. It is a voice that has always been compelling, but made more so in this context. The song builds slowly, first adding haunting strings and then following the second chorus, then the drums kick in and it explodes into an unexpected indie rock heartbreaker, pushing Townes sound into new directions.
“Ryan Hadlock has space in his productions, where you can hear the air in the room and the emotion inside it, in a way that brings forward a more vulnerable and indie rock feeling,” stated Townes on working with Hadlock, adding, “I was compelled as a fan of his work, and was looking for that edge in the songs we worked on together. I appreciated Ryan’s open approach to letting the production support my expression, and what we made is raw and built around how I play this song just picking up my guitar and I loved meeting the community of musicians around Seattle who record a little unconventionally, digging into parts with a lot of exploration.”
Her poignant lyrics reflect on learning to put down the mask, and share her true feelings with others. “I wrote this song about how I feel when it comes to letting people in,” stated Townes, adding, “I tend to keep my guard up high because it’s scary to let somebody in and risk sharing my real self, but this song is what I want to hear when I am feeling that way. When I’m afraid or struggling emotionally, I am the most guarded. At that moment, I need to hear that I can show up exactly as I am.”
An astute observer of the human condition, Townes’ discography is rife with stories that reverberate with heavy truths. Following the release of a duet with world-superstar Bryan Adams, the revered songwriter, and CCMA Entertainer of the Year, released a five-song project called the Train Track Worktapes in 2023. Townes conceptualised, wrote, and recorded the EP on a 15-day, 3,000-mile, train trip where she played 65 shows at stops in communities across Canada. Townes is also no stranger to the road, opening for legendary artists such as Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain and George Strait and has also toured extensively outside of the US – last year she performed for fans in Australia, Ireland, Germany, and had a sold-out run of headlining shows in the UK. Her international touring efforts earned her a nomination for the CMA International Artist Achievement Award.
Townes will be heading out on her As You Are Tour tour through the spring and will perform at Stagecoach festival on Saturday April 27 and Mooncrush festival on April 21 alongside artists including Noah Kahan and The Head and The Heart.
TOUR DATES
Sun, 21 April 2024 Miramar Beach FL Moon Crush “Pink Moon” Music Festival
Wed, 24 April 2024 Anaheim CA The Parish at HOB Anaheim
Sat, 27 April 2024 Indio CA Stagecoach Empire Polo Field
Sun, 28 April 2024 San Diego CA House of Blues – Voodoo Room
Mon, 29 April 2024 Phoenix AZ Valley Bar
Wed, 1 May 2024 Salt Lake City UT The State Room
Thu, 2 May 2024 Fort Collins CO The Armory
Fri, 3 May 2024 Denver CO Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
Wed, 8 May 2024 Lexington KY The Burl
Thu, 9 May 2024 Cincinnati OH Live at the Ludlow Garage
Fri, 10 May 2024 Cleveland OH House of Blues – Cambridge Room
Thu, 16 May 2024 Lawrence KS The Bottleneck
Fri, 17 May 2024 Saint Paul MN Turf Club
Sat, 18 May 2024 Davenport IA Racoon Motel
Sun, 19 May 2024 Evanston IL SPACE
