Lia Baswell – If Not For The Chaos
Los Angeles local Lia Braswell came to percussion at seven. Her parents viewed it as necessary therapy, following the loss of her older brother to cancer. “There were not many grief groups designated for children, so the alternative was drum lessons with a guy they met at the park,” she remembers.
Studying techniques ranging from rudiments to limb independence, she resented the metronome before relishing its steadiness. As a teenager, she enmeshed herself in Southern California DIY spaces, such as The Smell, Pehrspace, and Echo Curio. Braswell moved to the East Coast where she was recruited by multiple bands, before relocating back to her Van Nuys hometown amid Covid-19 isolation allowed her to explore different terrain.
Rising — Braswell’s full-length solo debut for Waxwork Records released this past May — finds her flourishing as a songwriter. It cements a whispery dream folk sound, foregrounding atmosphere and introspection. The raw emotion Braswell has spent decades channeling behind the kit adopts a newfound delicacy.
The title references overcoming tribulations by trusting intuition. She grapples with a painful relationship; family dysfunction; and the financial struggles of existence between gigs. “If I were to write a book on my trajectory in life, there would be many instances that could have led me down a dark path,” she muses. “I certainly found myself in unmanageable situations and put myself in harm’s way. But I found a way out.” Tragedy was reframed in a healing glow after Braswell got sober in 2022, reflecting a perspective steeped in duality. The raw emotion Braswell has spent decades channeling behind the kit adopts a newfound delicacy.
Today, Braswell shares the brand new follow up single “If Not for the Chaos,” out via Waxwork Records.
It expands on the spectral vulnerability of Rising through layers of electronic pop matched with her thunderous yet steady presence on drums.
Braswell shares: “‘If Not for the Chaos’ is a continuation of blending emotion with intent. It’s another song that brings my heart to the forefront by evoking the spontaneity of connection while touring. It was written and recorded with Keir Schmidt during the process of releasing Rising which is why it feels aligned with the process of moving forward in sharing my solo music amidst all of the other endeavors I’ve got going on.”
The journey to Rising was slow and meticulous, as Braswell took a year off from shows. She sketched demos while away from the road, fleshing them out during weekly sessions with Omar Yakar Jr. (Courtney Barnett, The War on Drugs) and Derek Coburn (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Chelsea Wolfe).
Collaborators dot the tracklist, including Patrick Shiroishi (The Armed, Oort Smog), Erica Shafer (Hilary Duff, Pearl and the Oysters), and Laena Myers (Death Valley Girls, The Like). “It was a grueling process, but it felt good to be sure of what I wanted it to convey,” she says.
| Lia Braswell – Upcoming Live Dates |
| 8/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Slipper Clutch ~ |
| 9/16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Curran <3 |
| 9/18 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre <3 |
| 9/19 – Salem, OR @ Elsinore Theatre <3 |
| 9/20 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater <3 |
| 9/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union <3 |
| 9/24 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre <3 |
| 9/25 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall <3 |
| 9/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Fitzgerald Theater <3 |
| 9/28 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre <3 |
| 9/29 – Columbus, OH @ The Bluestone <3 |
| 9/30 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral <3 |
| 10/5 – Boston, MA @ Shubert Theatre <3 |
| 10/6 – New York, NY @ Town Hall <3 |
| 10/8 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead <3 |
| 10/9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre <3 |
| 10/10 – Washington, DC @ Sixth & I <3 |
| 10/12 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel <3 |
| 10/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre <3 |
| 10/14 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works <3 |
| 10/16 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Theatre <3 |
| 10/17 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s <3 |
| 10/20 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre <3 |
| 10/21 – San Diego, CA @ The Magnolia <3 |
| 10/22 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues * |
| 10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre <3 |
| 10/24 – Dallas, TX @ Sick New World * |
| 10/25 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave * |
| 10/26 – Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues * |
| 10/27 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick * |
| 10/28 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House * |
| 10/30 – Huntington, NY @ Paramount * |
| 10/31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl * |
| 11/1 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * |
| 11/2 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall * |
| 11/4 – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony * |
| 11/21 – Utrecht, NL – Tivoli Vredneburg, Gorte Zaal <3 |
| 11/23 – Berlin, DE – Admiralspalast <3 |
| 11/24 – Hamburg, DE – Grose Freiheit 36 <3 |
| 11/25 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega <3 |
| 11/27 – Oslo, NO – Betong <3 |
| 11/28 – Stockholm, SE – Vasateatern <3 |
| 11/30 – Tallinn, EE – Helitehas <3 |
| 12/2 – Vilinus, LU @ Loftas <3 |
| 12/3 – Warsaw, PO @ Progresja <3 |
| 12/5 – Prague, CZ @ ARCHA <3 |
| 12/6 – Vienna, AU @ Budo Center <3 |
| 12/7 – Budapest, HU @ Akavrium Klub Main Hall <3 |
| 12/9 – Mannheim, DE @ Capitol <3 |
| 12/11 – Freibourg, SW @ Fri-SON <3 |
| 12/12 – Milan, IT @ Live Club <3 |
| 12/13 – Munich, DE @ Isarphilharmonie <3 |
| 12/15 – Antwerp, BE @ TRIX <3 |
| 12/16 – Paris, FR @ Casino De Paris <3 |
| 12/17 – London, UK @ Kentish Town Forum <3 |
| 12/19 – Athens, GR @ Floyd <3 |
| <3 = w/ Chelsea Wolfe |
| * = w/ She Wants Revenge |
| ~ = solo show |
#lia_braswell