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RACHEL BAIMAN

Killer Trio from Nashville! Perhaps best known as one half of 10 String Symphony, Rachel Baiman's new album "Shame" is an exploration of growing up female in America.

In many ways, Shame, the new album from 27-year-old Nashville Americana songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman, is an exploration of growing up female in America. I wasnt necessarily trying to write songs that would be easy to listen to, Baiman says of the project, I wanted to write about reality, in all of its terror and beauty. From the title track about abortion politics, to love, sex, and abuse in relationships, to classism and inequality in her re-write of Andy Irvines working class anthem Never Tire of the Road, the album is ambitious in its scope, yet remains cohesive through Baimans personal perspective. Despite the serious subject matter, the overall feeling of the album remains light, with the tongue-in-cheek Getting Ready to Start (Getting Ready) and feel-good anthem Let them Go To Heaven. A departure from her stripped-down work with progressive folk duo 10 String Symphony, "Shame" is lush and varied in instrumentation and musical texture.

Inspired in equal parts by John Hartford and Courtney Barnett, Baimans influences span a wide range, but years spent playing traditional music shine through in the albums firmly rooted sound. For recording and production, Baiman turned to the talents of Mandolin Oranges Andrew Marlin. At the time that I was writing the music for this record, I was listening to all North Carolina-made albums, including Mandolin Orange and the album Andrew produced for Josh Oliver (Oliver is also featured heavily on Shame). Shortly after reaching out to Marlin, Baiman traveled to Chapel Hill, NC for three intensive days in the studio. The energy was amazing, Baiman says. It became clear that we were making something really special that needed to be finished.