Today in Pudding premieres, we have for you Brennan Wedl’s Holy Water Branch. This record, produced by Hayden Ticehurst, is truly everything you’d want from a folk singer-songwriter: candid, metaphorical, harmonic, soft and light in places, heavy and forbidding in others. Boston’s own and Berklee trained, the 22 year-old artist, formerly of Dazey and the Scouts, has created an album that’s about to leave its mark on the folk genre. Just you wait.

 

From the first track, “Bag of Bones,” we can hear Wedl’s tone shift decidedly ominous. Her previous records hinted toward the macabre, but on Holy Water Branch, she’s really leaning in. She’s previously been hailed as the “love child of Nancy Sinatra and Elliott Smith,” but this song radiates pure acoustic Chelsea Wolfe vibes. The next track “Traveler” layers on a lighter atmosphere, though, and we can hear Wedl’s skilled string plucking, harmonizing, and songwriting. Get ready to hit repeat when she sings, “I can’t tell what is real / but it’s bigger than you / and it’s bigger than me too,” which, combined with that song’s melody, is a stroke of genius. We talk more in detail about “Red” below, but let’s just say that a bull/Taurus metaphor get’s an A+, especially when Wedl’s reverberating vocals easily show off her range. “I Wish You Were Here” is the perfect example of a modern folk song, implementing synth crescendos and what sounds like a flute. We hear more moody plucking on “Mt. Saint Paul,” landing itself somewhere between the longing lyrics of Adrianne Lenker and Sibylle Baier. Lastly, “Dogs of Hell” brings the album’s mood back to the dark side, with imagery of hellscapes, the devil, and salvation. Featuring organ sounds and a violin, this track is definitely the most involved, both musically and lyrically. Wedl ends the record with deep, vibrating guitar string plucks, then an unsettling high note on violin. It simply has us yearning for more.

 

Read our interview with Brennan and stream Holy Water Branch below.

 

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Allston Pudding: Can you tell me about how you started making music? I’m curious about which instruments you play, and how you’ve developed your sound both instrumentally and vocally in the past couple of years.

Brennan Wedl: I played the violin as a young lass, then made the switch to guitar within a year or two and began writing silly little songs about bullfrogs and my friends. Along the way, I’ve always been curious about composing on different instruments. Of course, piano and guitar are fine vehicles, but what about drum set, dog bark, alternate tunings, etc.? The possibilities continue to rile me up! A few years ago, I tried SO HARD to embody Bob Dylan. Very recently I allowed myself to quit pretending that I’m a 78-year-old man! It’s done wonders The sound that comes out of my mouth and from my guitar finally match the sound in my head. For now.

 

AP: Who’s music have you been drawn to recently? 
BW: Twain, Big Thief, Joao Gilberto, Gillian Welch, Radiohead, Mark Kozelek, The Clash, Buena Vista Social Club, Daft Punk, Dirt Buyer, Portishead, Benny Benassi, Palehound, Rodriguez, Bug Fight, Dent, Gear Daddies.

 

AP: I noticed that you use color as a way to navigate certain concepts (“Blue” on Jersey Devil and “Red” on this one). Can you explain how you started writing “Red” and came up with the concept of that song?

BW: Red was an assignment for my lyric writing class last fall. The directions were to write a song in 4/4 where the chorus gains weight without changing any words. At the time, I was working on using sensory imagery in my writing and this tune was a big breakthrough for me in that department. It’s an ode to everyone I’ve ever been in lust with, including the country of Spain.

 

AP: I also noticed that you talk about God, Jesus, and religion in your songs. Did you grow up religiously? What pulls you to include that imagery in your music?

BW: I grew up Catholic. It had its ups and downs like anything else, but WOW it sure does make for fantastic banter! There’s a myriad of parables and interesting proper nouns I can straight up steal for songs. All jokes aside, singing about God in a way I identify with makes me feel closer to whatever God is. Some of my first musical memories involve hymns, choral music, etc. Songwriting is like crafting your own hymns, taking back your faith in yourself, and using your own powers to make tomorrow suck less.

 

AP: Where on this good green earth would you most like to perform?

BW: I would LOVE to perform in a theater; any one of the countless Orpheum Theaters across the country would do quite nicely. Though she’s not a theater, performing at my hometown’s First Avenue would be a dream as well.

 

AP: Are you playing shows soon?

BW: Yes! I’m playing a few more before I move to Nashville. On August 3rd is my release show with Cole Haden and Leng Bian at The Cloud Club. August 4th, I’m playing Somerstreets at 2:15pm so please swing by and pick up an ear of corn (while supplies last).