Elizabeth Owens is a singer-songwriter, composer, producer & poet based in Richmond, Virginia. Their debut album, Coming Of Age, is the latest release on new label Grimalkin Records, organised by our friend Nancy Kells (of Spartan Jet-Plex). The label is focused on queer, trans, non-binary/gender non-conforming, people of colour and women, and supports civil rights and social justice related non-profits and community organizations.
Coming Of Age is a self-described “psychedelic/folk-rock fairy tale,” which combines dreamy soundscapes, home-recorded audio recordings and personal writing. The framing narrative is the story of a princess who escapes from “The Tower of Forgetting” and begins an arduous journey into the unknown, on a quest to discover her true identity and the reasons for her imprisonment.
But the story provides a framework rather than a driving narrative, and is more about the internal quests of real life than any fiction. The album sees Elizabeth Owens take on some pretty heavy self-reflection, meditating on the harmful effects of conventional expectations and societal dogma. “My hope for this record has always been personal,” Owens explains. “Music is therapy for me, and I think these past two years a lot of my soul-work has revolved around unlearning harmful habits and myths and tapping into the old wisdom I know lives in all of us.”
‘I Long’ is a great example of this, a gentle and slightly ethereal folk song that sees Owens recite a list of longings that comes to sound almost like a mantra. It’s an incantation to conjure not just wisdom but kindness and patience too, especially for one’s self.
“I long to be free
I long to see and see everything
I long to be better than me
I long to flee
I long”
‘Ode to Joni’ is perhaps the most upbeat track on the album, an ode to the restorative powers of listening to a Joni Mitchell record, while ‘10 Years’ is a winding and tortuous song about love and the anxieties that come with it. The staccato acoustic guitar at the start of ‘Be Better’ gives way to an almost groovy guitar line, the song polished with a shine of determination. Again, the focus is planted squarely on personal growth. “I want to know, I want to see,” Owens sings, “I want to go, I want to be better.” This then moves into the final song, ‘The Light’s On’, which ends on a generous note. Owens signs off with a gauzy folk song, their voice delivering lines that once more fuse the mystical with the deeply personal, and above all sound quietly kind and reassuring.
“Don’t forget through all the fear that you should never have to hide
Please don’t lose that childhood pride
Whenever you need to come home, remember the light’s on
Whenever you’re feeling alone, remember the light’s on”
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And this benevolence proves to be the thematic heart of the album. Coming of Age is about growth despite hardship, about being both brave and vulnerable, and, above all, about not being crushed beneath the weight of bad habits and toxic expectations. “When you’ve been taught so many ways to hate yourself and shield yourself from the world,” Owens explains, “I think the hardest thing to come to terms with is the understanding that forgiveness and self-compassion are the keys to the doors we erect to protect ourselves.” It’s an important message, and a timely one in this period of political chaos and angry ignorance.
Coming of Age is out now and you can get it from the Grimalkin Records Bandcamp page or the Elizabeth Owens Bandcamp page. There are some very nice merch options too, with some beautiful silk-screened posters and a care package that includes all kinds of goodies.
