Alicia Stockman: "Halfway to Houston"
Alicia Stockman is a Utah-based folk-meets-Americana singer-songwriter whose music pulls back the veil to reveal everyday vulnerability. Her songs are written like intimate moments, drawing listeners into a relatable emotional journey.
At a young age, Alicia Stockman began her deep love for music, compelled by the vivid storytelling of powerhouse songwriters including Patty Griffin, Brandi Carlile and Jewel. After performing in a loud rock n’ roll band playing bars with sticky floors and belting out Stevie Wonder tunes, Alicia began writing her own music more seriously. Realizing her new songs didn’t have a place in a loud bar with a party atmosphere, she branched out and started playing more intimate venues, quickly finding her home in the folk and Americana scene. Her whisky-dipped soulful vocals and creative takes on day-to-day realities soon sparked the interest of “Nashville’s Americana Queen” Mary Bragg who began collaborating with Alicia on her new album.
Her upcoming debut 10-track full-length album is entitled These Four Walls and is a collection of "songs to make you feel and feel seen." The album says, “I see you. I've been there. I understand.” Written over a three year period, These Four Walls is a luminous roots release infused with gritty blues rock guitar licks and attention worthy melodies.
The first track on the album, “Stay Between The Lines,” was written during a long drive home from New Mexico and the highway inspired single discusses how we all can sometimes “dance between right and wrong and personal limits and boundaries to keep life interesting.” The reverb drenched guitar and wild west twang make “Stay Between The Lines” an alluring listen.
“Halfway to Houston” is a token break-up song where Alicia recalls a painful memory of lost love. The song is poetic and emotive, laced with soaring vocals and intimate lyrics that express feelings of suffering and melancholia. “I wrote the chorus of this song while hiking a trail network near my house. It was a healthy way to process the end of this relationship while my ex-partner moved out of the house.” “Halfway to Houston” impresses with dreamlike slide guitars and melodies full of bittersweet nostalgia.
In the album’s title track, “These Four Walls,” Alicia hopes to destigmatize the conversation on mental health. She confides, “I wrote ‘These Four Walls’ to help me process a former relationship in which my partner had severe depression/anxiety disorder. This song was my way of unpacking all that and finding a way back to myself.” The song features a stripped-down melody with dreamy, tender lyrics that showcase her vulnerability as an artist.
Recognized for her unique songwriting and performance formula, Alicia has received accolades from several performing songwriter competitions including Songwriter Serenade, Tucson Folk Festival, Suzanne Millsaps Songwriter Competition, and the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival.
These Four Walls is due for release November 2021, worldwide.
Have a listen and connect with Alicia Stockman on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/aliciastockmanmusic/
