BYLAND - that's Alie Renee for those not keeping track - serves up the kind of indie-rock that feels like a cozy, old vinyl discovered in a Pacific Northwest thrift store. Hailing from Albuquerque, but now waving the Seattle flag, she dropped "GRAY" in late 2020. The album? Think of it like an old Polaroid photo - a bit fuzzy around the edges, but gripping in its nostalgic aura.
The tunes bring to mind some of the cooler underground acts I used to spin on college radio, with that raw, cinematic vibe. And while Alie's got her finger on the pulse of modern indie-rock, she’s anchored by old-school songcraft. The kind that doesn’t just grab your ears but tugs on the heartstrings with those bare-it-all vocals.
KEXP, American Songwriter, and even Pop Matters gave nods to “GRAY”, so she's not exactly flying under the radar. Collaborations with folks like Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver vibes, anyone?) and Meagan Grandall (cue the Lemolo flashbacks) pepper the mix, giving it an extra layer of cred. And let's not skip over Abby Gundersen’s contribution - further proof of BYLAND's keen ear for enlisting some of the top femme forces in the biz.
After a two-year Albuquerque detour, Alie’s back in Seattle, presumably soaking up rain and whipping up her sophomore record with her partner-in-crime, Jake, and studio wizard, Nathan Yaccino. Here's hoping it's as evocative as "GRAY".