Around a month ago, Angela Autumn unveiled “Mountain Stream,” the lead single from her forthcoming album Believer. We were quite taken with that track, and I’m pleased to report she’s issued another song today. This Nashville-based performer, who also paired with Deloyd Elze on the dreamlike country cut “George Jones” earlier this year, delivers a raw, off-kilter take on roots rock that would sit nicely beside Zoh Amba’s singer-songwriter material. On the new “Heavy Tobacco,” she makes her voice skim your ears as the hook burrows its way into your brain.
In a statement, she offered her take on the lyrics:
This piece centers on the tobacco spirit. Across many cultures, especially among American Indigenous communities, tobacco is valued for its cleansing properties. I don’t think many people would call tobacco “healthy”; quite the opposite. The message is that something positive can become harmful when misused. It’s me reflecting on choices that were necessary yet carried both beneficial and detrimental consequences.
Fame feels like something to be pursued, with a ticking clock on our realization. Smoking serves as a way of marking moments, of classifying time. Inevitably our ambitions and desires will exhaust themselves and we are left with our legacy and its impact on the earth—consciously or unconsciously.
Watch the “Heavy Tobacco” video below.
Believer is out 9/11 on Gar Hole Records.
