"Lubbock," released in collaboration with Caroline Carter, comes as the latest track off of Grace Gardner's upcoming EP Recovery Mile. The intense, indie pop song recalls a sad relationship and aftermath of the breakup. Here, Gardner lets out her pent-up frustration on the unequal dynamic of their relationship. She gave so much of herself to a person that would just discard her in the end. Titled after the city in Texas, the track concludes with Gardner and her former partner coming back to Lubbock, but on different walks of life. With poignant lyricism and production, Gardner shares her story and allows listeners to reflect on their own experiences with bad previous relationships.
In "Lubbock," Gardner is angry. She's sad. She's tired. She relays the emotional turmoil of having to parent her partner and the little she got in return for it. Opening up the track with the line "You know better than I do that I couldn't fix you," we are drawn into their experience trying to make it work with someone that would end up not being worth the effort. The guitar-laden track builds into the chorus, where they sing, "A silent protector who waited and listened / A mother, a wife, going broke for the distance." Even when they were losing energy and money, Gardner tried to fulfill all her partner's needs. She gets vulnerable with lyrics like "I cried on the highway, didn't that count for something?" In the end, she learns to love the distance between them. She comes to realize that she is better with the freedom and breakup. "Lubbock" is a masterful creation and a true testament to Gardner's songwriting, vocal, and producer abilities.
Grace Gardner is a Texas-born, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, producer, music educator, and arranger. Inspired by 70s women in music like Carole King, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell and the more contemporary Julien Baker and Lizzy McAlpine, Gardner is setting off to transcend boundaries and craft a unique voice in the music industry. Her sound also takes influence from jazz music and the classic rock that her parents love. Drawing on her experiences in relationships, society, and just life, Gardner dives deep in their lyricism and gets vulnerable with their listeners. If you liked "Lubbock," make sure to check out the rest of their discography and listen to Recovery Mile when it comes out 2/23.
Written By SYDNEY GRAY
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