Mali Velasquez Announces Debut Album 'I'm Green'

Nashville-based artist Mali Velasquez has signed with Acrophase Records (Ginger Root, Blaketheman1000, Winona Forever) for her debut album, I’m Green, which is due out October 13.

The 9-track set was produced by Josef Kuhn (Samia, Annie DiRusso, Hannah Cole) and serves as a meditation on the transformative power of both loss and shame. Out today alongside a music video directed by Reed Schick, lead single “Tore” begins in a warm, dreamy state, featuring a simple marching drum beat and soft nylon guitars.

Velasquez’s voice, raspy yet controlled, propels forth a melodic and honestly written song about her struggles with self-criticism. In its final chorus, heavier guitars and electronic distortion fill the bespoke folk arrangement, creating an inviting sense of chaos. The change in the sonic landscape compliments a story about losing control, and how embarrassing it is to be seen in such harsh light. 

In a statement about her debut single, Velasquez offers: 
“‘Tore’ is a song mostly about my own way of self sabotaging. I have no idea how to combat being embarrassed all the time still, but explaining it has helped. Being comfortable in my skin is something that feels out of reach a lot of the time. The themes of time passing slowly and seeming to get away at the same time are the strongest in this song.”

When Velasquez traded her Texas panhandle home for the verdant foothills of Tennessee, she did so with a newfound perspective that mirrored her environment, culminating in the lushly raw edge of her folk-rooted indie rock.

Wistfully openhearted and incisive, she tips the fulcrum between reflection and remedy with melody-forward unction and lyrical tenderness. I’m Green sees Velasquez exploring familiar feelings of discomfort as an opportunity for release. It’s a perennial introspection into the wild animal of young adulthood and the renewing realization that the person we’re most often seeking permission from, crucially, is ourselves.