With her self-titled album, Brennan Wedl brings together punk, grunge and Americana, embracing spontaneity, imperfect songwriting and the freedom to follow a song wherever it leads.
Nashville-based songwriter Brennan Wedl has never been particularly interested in keeping her music within one genre. Drawing on punk, grunge and Americana, a combination she affectionately calls ‘grungetry’, her self-titled album finds her working alongside Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and producer Brad Cook, recording live with a full band over ten days. With a love of Neil Young, a playful approach to recording and a growing confidence in following her own instincts, Wedl is finding new ways to enjoy the process of making music. We caught up with her to talk about songwriting in Nashville, unexpected studio experiments, time travel and the records that have stayed with her.
For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?
Hi, I’m Brennan! I live in Nashville and I’m a writer. Mainly a songwriter, but I like to write all sorts of stuff. My music sounds like I’ve always been a Neil Young fan.
You’ve spoken about leaving behind the pressure to shape yourself for other people. When did you start noticing that pressure creeping into your music, and what helped you loosen its grip?
Sometimes, I’ll be very concerned about writing a strong hook. Sometimes you just gotta sing a song that isn’t catchy! Going outside and looking at trees generally helps.
What made you want to put your own name on this album? Did it feel like a particularly clear picture of who you are, or were you still figuring that out through the songs?
I love when bands and solo artists release self-titled albums. It’s so sure. I’m 29 going on 30, and it felt like a nice time to say ‘hello, world’.
You’ve described the record’s meeting of punk, grunge and Americana as ‘grungetry’. Growing up, did those sounds belong to different parts of your life, and when did they start making sense together?
I think each of those genres is highly provocative. They’ve always made sense in the same world to me. I am in love with the way the guitar can express in this intersection.
How did Katie Crutchfield and Brad Cook become involved, and what was an early conversation with them that helped you work out what this record could be?
Life finds a way of bringing Kathleen Edwards fans together to nerd out about songwriting! I don’t make the rules.
You recorded all the tracks during ten days at Brad’s studio. Can you take us inside a session where a song went somewhere you hadn’t expected?
We recorded each track live as a full band in a deeply awesome garage. We were tracking ‘Fake Cowboy’, and it brought tears to my eyes thinking about the journey of a song.
You’ve talked about learning to be more playful with your work. What’s something you let yourself try on this album that an earlier version of you might have talked herself out of?
We DoorDashed some whistles to try out on ‘Tasmanian Devil’. It’s one of my favourite little Easter eggs.
‘High Priestess’ follows someone driving around while bargaining with a past they can’t quite leave alone. What interested you about catching that character behind the wheel, where they can keep moving without necessarily getting anywhere?
Two places at once = time travel! You can be so many places in your heart and mind. So, final answer is increased interest and curiosity about how one can time travel while driving around past your bedtime and maybe stopping at Cook Out, a beloved regional fast-food chain.
What has living in Nashville taught you about songwriting, and is there anything about the city’s musical culture that you’ve found yourself pushing against?
Songwriting can be as clinical as you want to make it. Living in Music City, it’s inspiring to see songwriting being practised like medicine. I try to keep an open mind.
Playing with Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman puts these songs in front of people who might be hearing you for the first time. What have those shows taught you about the record, and has any song surprised you in the way audiences respond to it?
‘Tasmanian Devil’ was so exciting to play solo! It helped me be comfortable with the space around the notes. That’s the music too!
What do you love right now?
The United States just had our midterm elections, and both the Senate and House have been flipped. Democrat governors have been elected for historically red states like Texas, the Carolinas and Kansas. This will help combat some of Trump’s America, and this long fight continues. I felt some hope today, and I love that.
What do you hate right now?
Racism, data centres, Nicki Minaj selling her soul.
Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?
Harvest by Neil Young. That’s a time traveller album without a shadow of a doubt.
When someone hears your music for the first time, what do you hope sticks with them?
The feeling of maybe wanting to try writing a song of their own or picking up that guitar again. Everyone has a song.
Photography By: Daniel Topete & Blaire Beamer