Your Voice, Your Choice #8 – Lisa Redford

Delighted to continue a great new feature on Belles and Gals today – “Your Voice, Your Choice”. We introduce one of our favourite songs from a  country artist and then the artist tells us in turn about a song that has inspired them and has a special place in their heart. Today we feature Belles and Gals favourite Lisa Redford. 

Lisa Redford is one of the most featured artists we’ve had on Belles and Gals. Last year Lisa released her fantastic EP ‘Another Place and Time’ (review here) in which I stated ‘there is no doubt that this EP is from a performer who is at the very top of her game. Brilliant.’ Lisa has a fantastic back catalog too – check out her albums such as her debut ‘Slipstream’ and ‘Lost Again’. Today I have chosen ‘New York Song’ from Lisa’s third album ‘Clouds with Silver’ – I just adore this song and it has an amazing video to accompany it.

Lisa has chosen ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’ by Ryan Adams featuring Emmylou Harris

My choice is “Oh My Sweet Carolina” by Ryan Adams from his stunning debut album, 2000’s “Heartbreaker” and I distinctly remember the first time I heard the song. Thanks to the excellent compilation CD’s produced by Uncut magazine, this track was included on one of their Americana collections and I was instantly struck by the beauty and longing of this evocative wistful ballad. With a beautiful timeless melody and plaintive lyrics, plus Emmylou Harris’s tender harmony vocal and soft piano by Wilco’s Pat Sansone, all enhanced by the excellent production by Ethan Johns, this was clearly an outstanding songwriter.

Although I love to travel, songs that seem to be about home often resonate with me and I like the sense of nostalgia in Ryan’s lyrics which always manage to capture a feeling so effortlessly. There are great lines such as “the sunsets just my lightbulb burning out” and “I was trying to find me something but I wasn’t sure just what Man I ended up with pockets full of dust”.

It feels like although he is travelling through various cities he is longing to be in his home state: “All the sweetest winds they blow across the south”. The raw emotion and honesty of this heartfelt song was made even more special as I listened to it not long after it was released whilst on a road trip through Ryan’s home state of North Carolina. I’ve also loved performing this song live with my friend Elsa as a vocal duet.