The Midwest has a strange way of framing darkness in the light. Surrounded by wide-open spaces which are submerged in pervasive nighttime for months out of the year, it shapes the sights and sounds created in the mind and written of the heart.
Andriana Lehr was born the youngest daughter of a farmer in a small, South Dakota town. Despite having spent the last decade as a city-dweller in MPLSTP, the artifacts of her childhood milieu can still be distinctly heard in her music. With a vocal range vast as the open prairie, her melodies combine the soaring range of Joni Mitchell with the depth and grounded roots of Aimee Mann and Brandi Carlile. Her song styles range from folk, Americana, and alt-country to pop-ballads, with notes of jazz and blues influence. With early influences by the likes of Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, Wilco, Jewel, and Joni Mitchell, Lehr’s songwriting has evolved to speak straight to the soul, either through the heart, or through heady, existential lyrics that portray the struggles of 21st century existence.
Lehr’s most recent release, “Artifacts,” exemplifies the confusion and growth that comes through self-exploration and the search for meaning and finding one’s place in this world. It is now available on most streaming services and iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/ album/artifacts/id1151708183
Twitter: @andrianalehr
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