Waxahatchee to play intimate and sold out show at The Chapel

I will never give up on preaching the words of American singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield. Every band she’s been a part of has affected someone positively, be it just herself or her friends. P.S. Eliot, which was Katie Crutchfield and her twin sister, Allison Crutchfield‘s band, was most active before Waxahatchee began, but is still one that musicians mention as inspiration to this day. Both the Crutchfield twins are fundamental to the DIY and indie scene. They’re also both incredibly talented. One time Katie tweeted saying “Jenny Lewis is my Beyonce and Beyonce is my god,” and even that thread of tweets has changed my life for the better.

Waxachtchee’s lyrics blend romantic fears and insecurities with beautifully constructed soft and at times aggressive guitar chords. You can tell her writing style is more than her trying to make a good song, but a way for her to understand her own feelings. That’s what has always drawn me to her music: it’s brave, it’s beautiful and the lyrics are so much more than a catchy chorus. I have said before, in little and long rants, that I believe that Katie Crutchfield is one of the best lyricists of this generation.

The first two lo-fi solo albums were released by Don Giovanni Records. American Weekend held songs like “Be Good” with lyrics like “Now I’m laughing at my boredom/At my string of failed attempts/Because you think that it’s important/And I welcome the sentiment.” A song friends have sent covers of to me saying “isn’t this the cutest song about beer you’ve ever heard” and it is, but it’s also more. She’s letting out what many fear to say. The fact that sometimes, being emotionally reassured about your insecurities is actually all you need. This is one of the strongest features of Katie’s music. She’s saying what many of us feel but fear that by saying it we will only be taken as weak. She makes her weakness strength, and transfers that strength to her listeners even for a minute. Cerulean Salt made this even more apparent and will always successfully feel like a damaged wonder. Ivy Trip, released by Merge Records, was more than just her and her guitar, capturing her personal lyrics and making them a little more angry and so much stronger.

I’ve only seen Waxahatchee once, at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass a couple years ago. She was the first band on the stage curated by Conor Oberst. I got there mid-set, walked through the crowd who may at the time never had heard of her at all, but every single one of them were letting it be known that she was worth listening to. So of course it comes as no surprise that her show on March 8th at The Chapel is sold out, and I salute all who got a ticket. To those that didn’t, there will be more chances, because she is currently working on her fourth studio album.