Over the last three decades, Kristin Hersh’s prolific career has seen her heralded queen of the alternative release.?Returning with a new solo record ‘Clear Pond Road’ released in September 2023, the album is a cinematic road trip; a series of personal vignettes from a fiercely independent auteur, plush with layers of atonal, edgy-dreamy strings and mellotron.
It’s a watershed moment in a career overflowing with creative firsts and inspirational thinking, an elegant piece of personal reportage. It’s a sensuous, life-affirming statement, a very personal memoir; it’s the a blossoming of a true icon of independence.
In 2018 Hersh announced a?new partnership with Fire Records that made possible the release of her acclaimed tenth studio album, ‘Possible Dust Clouds’.?Since then there’s been new releases from Throwing Muses (‘Sun Racket’, 2020) and 50Foot Wave (‘Black Pearl’, 2022) along with new book ‘Seeing Sideways’ (2022).
“One of indie rock’s most fascinating figures” (The Guardian) Hersh has released over 20 solo records, with Throwing Muses and 50FOOTWAVE to date.
This was a great show, probably the best one-person show I've seen. She was on nonstop (except reading excerpts from short stories from her latest book/albums, Wyatt at the Coyote Place, which you could get for $20 at the venue) like a laserbeam, going over about 18 songs. Talk about intensity! About half of the songs were new, the remaining are standby from her solo albums, with only about 2-3 Throwing Muses songs. I would have paid easily 3 times what they charged....As to venue, it was my first time at the Swedish American Hall. I liked it. Acoustics was good, the atmosphere intimate (~100 people), though it took a bit used to sitting down listening to a concert (amped acoustic, but still rock) for me. My only complaint is that they need to soundproof the rear of the room, as you could hear the bartenders clanging their wares and slushing ice around. I would go back again, but next time sitting at the front.