"Make Myself Me Again" is set to premiere on May 20th.
If Cristina Vane's critically acclaimed debut Nowhere Sounds Lovely was her "road trip" album, then her much anticipated follow up represents the return home; musically and personally. Out May 20th on Red Parlor Records, Make Myself Me Again finds rising slide-guitar star Vane growing roots in her Nashville home and taking a moment to grow into herself as well. "I've been trying to peel back the layers, to understand who I am, and I think that process has translated to this record," she explains, "The production is straightforward, more minimal, and a bit of a return to my rock roots but still paying homage to the music I've explored since then." Make Myself Me Again was co-produced by Brook Sutton (Blackberry Smoke) and Jano Rix (The Wood Brothers) and features appearances by Vane's world-class musician friends like Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Molly Tuttle) and Billy Contreras (Béla Fleck).
This week, DittyTV premiered the music video for the album's first single, "How You Doin'," calling it "a feel-good piece of movie magic released in support of her innovative and infectiously-good upcoming studio album, Make Myself Me Again." With "How You Doin'," Vane channels what she calls "f*ckboy energy" and turns it on its head, oscillating between perspectives of the wanter and the wanted. Guitar Girl Magazine also sat down with Vane to talk about the inspiration behind the single, how her sound has evolved over the years, guitars, and much more. Fans can check out the video now at this link and listen to "How You Doin'" right here (available streaming in hi-res 24 bit audio).
Many songs on Make Myself Me Again delve into Vane's personal relationships, and document her quest to find strength and independence in a new town. The album's title track rings of tenacious resilience, with Cristina's beautiful yet understated fingerstyle and slide guitar playing. It is the sound of the calm that comes with finally feeling at home with one's self, conceived from the place of optimism that sometimes comes after a brutal shakedown. "Sometimes I lose, sometimes I win" sings Vane, "I'm gonna make myself me again...I'm giving up on giving in / I'm gonna make myself me again." Despite the myriad of musical touchstones, the record remains cohesive, centering itself around Vane's experiences and musicianship. "After being exposed to all of this music that I love, I'm slowly figuring out how to find my own voice," she says, "It is the sound of growing up." With class and adventure, Vane brings us all back home to ourselves on Make Myself Me Again, an album so honest that you'd be hard-pressed not to root for it, along with its vulnerable and tenacious creator.
Catch Cristina Vane On Tour:
May 6 - Providence, RI - Askew
May 7 - Brooklyn, NY - Jalopy Theatre
May 8 - Cambridge, MA - Atwood's Tavern
May 12 - Philadelphia, PA - 118 North (supporting Arlo McKinley)
May 14 - Washington, DC - Hill Country BBQ (supporting Stripmall Ballads)
May 20 - Nashville, TN - Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge - Album Release Show*
May 21 - Louisa, KY - Fallsburg Summer Stage*
June 2 - Knoxville, TN - Barleys Taproom*
June 3 - Lexington, KY - The Burl (supporting Town Mountain)*
June 4 - Asheville, NC - Isis Music Hall*
July 7 - Nescopeck, PA - Briggs Farm Blues Fest*
Aug. 18 - Minturn, CO - Minturn Summer Concert Series
Aug. 31 - Prescott, AZ - Folk Session @ Kiwanis Amphitheater
Sep. 2 & 3 - Pagosa Springs, CO - Four Corners Folk Festival
Oct. 22 - Greenville, SC - IPI Festival
*Denotes full band shows
For more tour dates and ticket information, please visit cristinavane.com.
More About Cristina Vane: Vane's debut full-length album, 2021's Nowhere Sounds Lovely, explored the depths of America's musical history from her unique perspective as an Italy-born daughter of a Sicilian-American father and a Guatemalan mother. Americana Highways called Nowhere Sounds Lovely the "best guitar record" they'd heard all year, and in Glide Magazine's review, they wrote, "Her sound is somewhat of a throwback, but her emotive, rich voice gives it a more contemporary sheet...there's also her finely honed guitar playing-earthy, not overly flashy, but with deep feeling and perfectly married on many tunes to her voice." American Songwriter made a complementary comparison; "Like a young Bonnie Raitt, Vane sings from both her voice and her supple, bluesy guitar playing almost simultaneously-her sound as earthen as the South Dakota landscape..." Rolling Stone agreed, noting, "Cristina Vane evokes Bonnie Raitt and early PJ Harvey." Vane's sophomore album Make Myself Me Again is due out May 20, 2022, on Red Parlor Records.
Videos