Today, Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Sandy Bailey has released “Daughter Of Abraham,” the title track from her forthcoming LP with Red Parlor Records, set for release on August 18th. Bailey had recently moved into a house in northern Massachusetts that was built in 1765 that was storied to have been part of the underground railroad. “Learning this immediately sparked my imagination and I knew I wanted to connect with my ancestors somehow,” says Bailey. “I imagined that my ancestors had escaped through the underground railroad and had been in my house. Imagined their spirits coming back to see one of their descendants now living in the very same house that once hid them. I wrote this song as a tribute to them and to the human spirit that can prevail, and even change the entire paradigm of a nation, even in a most cruel and impossible world.”
The track was recorded in the same house that inspired the song, with Bailey’s children’s voices mixed in with the choir featured at the end. “There is a certain reverence and energy that is captured in this song,” she adds. “I feel like I’ve channeled something, as if my ancestors were here helping me write it and were singing along.” “Bailey has one of those satiny voices where you could listen to her sing a phone book and not be unhappy,” commented Twangville. “She then layered it on top of a sound maybe best characterized as early Muscle Shoals.”
“Daughter Of Abraham” follows lead single, “Get The Message Through,” about the irony of the current environment that we live in, where we are more connected than ever through the internet but also lonelier than ever.
The depth of Bailey’s songwriting stems from her life and identity as a biracial woman and single mother who abandoned a Pentecostal upbringing in favor of a life of art-making and rock n’ roll. Her sound has often been compared to acts like Norah Jones, Patsy Cline, and Susan Tedeschi, though the upcoming 10-song collection, expertly produced by Bailey, showcases her bolder, more distinctive attention to detail.
Each of the profound, candid tracks on Daughter Of Abraham incorporates elements of gospel, blues, soul, and classic Americana. The album includes performances by acclaimed musicians; guitarist Ryan Hommel (Amos Lee), bassist and engineer Marc Seedorf (Dinosaur JR, Lou Barlow), and drummer Don McAulay (The Rolling Stones, Neil Young) as well as neighbors, parents, coworkers, and even Bailey’s kids.
It’s an alluringly moody, genre-defying album, alternating in tone between the laid-back cool of Bonnie Raitt and the fire of Joni Mitchell, tempered with moments of genuine, heartbreaking vulnerability. Daughter of Abraham is the sound of a working-class American woman living her most authentic life.
Daughter Of Abraham is available for pre-save and pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Sandy Bailey via the links below for the latest news and updates.
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