Lisa Bouchelle – Vandals, Thieves & Lovers
Today, Lisa Bouchelle announces her new album Vandals, Thieves & Lovers, due out September 4.
Boasting an array of special guests and collaborators including Amanda Shires, Larry Campbell, Waddy Wachtel (Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt) and E Street Band saxophonist Jake Clemons, the record finds the New Jersey singer-songwriter grappling with the full spectrum of the human experience, balancing darkness and light as she navigates love, loss and liberation. Along with the news, Bouchelle shares her new single “A Light To Come Home To,” an uplifting song about the relationships that ground us, featuring masterful instrumental work from Shires and Campbell.
“All people, no matter their job or walk of life, need a ‘light’ to come home to after a hard day’s work,” says Bouchelle. “This ‘light’ isn’t necessarily a lamp that shines, but is different and personal for all people; a significant other, or a dog, for some a book and a cup of tea, or a cold beer; for some (often for me), the guitar that waits for me in my living room. It’s comforting to know that after you go out and ‘give it your all,’ there is comfort to return to afterwards that will serve to recharge our body and renew our spirit.”
“A Light To Come Home To” follows earlier singles “Vandal” (feat. Waddy Wachtel) and “Make This World Stand Still” (feat. Amanda Shires). For Vandals, Thieves & Lovers, Bouchelle wanted to embrace a collaborative spirit – also inviting all-star players like celebrated guitarist Clay Cook (Zac Brown Band), pedal steel virtuoso Doyle Grisham (Jimmy Buffett), drummer Rich Scannella (Tonic), fiddle player Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and bassist Hal B. Selzer (Joan Jett) to join these sessions. The album takes a similarly wide-ranging sonic approach, drawing on folk, country, rock, blues, gospel, soul and funk as it weaves together the disparate threads of American roots music into a captivating, cohesive whole. Add it all up and you’ve got a timeless work that’s as indebted to Laurel Canyon and Bakersfield as Memphis and Motown, a revelatory exploration of survival and resilience that showcases just how far Bouchelle has come, and where she’s headed.
A relentless road warrior, she has shared bills with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, The Wallflowers, Train, Blues Traveler, Bryan Adams, Shooter Jennings and Steve Miller, among others. Now with Vandals, Thieves & Lovers, the spotlight remains firmly fixed on Bouchelle throughout these songs, with arrangements centered around her evocative vocals and infectiously rhythmic guitar work.
“Vandals, thieves and lovers all leave their mark on you, whether you like it or not,” Bouchelle reflects. “Some of them hurt you, some of them steal from you, and some of them gift you with more than you could have ever imagined. In a lot of ways, that’s what these songs are all about: what life takes and what life gives.”
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