Written by Maria Arroyo
“‘Nobody’s Girl‘ is a testament to the power of three strong, independent songwriters with three, strong voices coming together as one, carrying their message along the beauty way with a ‘bubblicious’ roar like nobody else.”
The Austin, Texas-based female lead trio, Nobody’s Girl, shares their debut, self-titled album via Lucky Hound Music out now. This beautiful mix of talent is brought to life by musicians BettySoo, Grace Pettis, and Rebecca Loebe.
Nobody’s Girl is described as the “bridge” between folk and heavenly pop. The trio’s debut was recorded in September of 2019 and in January of 2021 at Lucky Hound’s own state-of-the-art studios at Fischer campus. Helping bring their songs to life is the experienced, Grammy-winning producer, Michael Ramos.
“In a lot of ways, I think of Nobody’s Girl as a super fun project that lets us blow off steam because it gives us a whole different channel to tap into,” says Loebe. “But most of all, I’m always really moved by the power of what we’re able to access as a trio: just the power of three voices onstage together, carrying the same message.”
Their opening track, “Kansas,” is inspired by the original Wizard of Oz, which is a “stirring call to technicolor adventure and self-discovery.” This track is a beautiful song with the perfect mix of country-pop and modern ideas. Their lyrics are crafted so carefully and deliver the perfect blend of their voices, as sweet as can be. This was a great choice for an opener, especially for someone like me who’s hearing them for the first time.
“Rescued” is the first of two tracks, the other being “Tiger,” that bounce off one another “as two sides of the same coin.”
These two tracks are said to represent the “proverbial devil and angel over one’s shoulders,” with “Tiger” as the darker side and “Rescued” on the lighter end. “Rescued” is representative to Pettis as a “defiant paean to not just losing self-control, but owning that decision with unabashed pride.” This catchy and feminist-driven track is definitely all about independence for the girls! It’s such a fun and exciting track to listen to, and really translates so well to the listeners. “Tiger” on the other hand, is a “warning about the darker side of what happens when you let loose of your self-control,” Pettis warns. The alternative and haunting folk energy, both in the instrumentation and the vocals help bring that symbolism Pettis describes to life.
Their next track, “What’ll I Do,” is a favorite of mine. They wrote such a beautiful, compelling song and this track really does the album justice. This is also one of the first songs they wrote together in 2017 as friends who decided to go on tour together.
Another favorite of the album is “Waterline” with its deep, sentimental lyrics and moving instrumentation. This song had such a unique flow to it and was hands down, the most comprehensive track on the album.
“Birthright” is another deeply, thoughtful track on the album, and spreads a message that many of us should listen to. The lyrics “My family still lives on the land we bought with blood and pain. When our kids start asking, what do we tell them? How do we explain?” truly describe the essence and reason for this track. While listening to it, it dawned on me how important and necessary self-realization and reflection are and these women did that through their music. When you stop and think about straight facts, we are all on stolen land, and only when we start to recognize that, can we start to take responsibility for our actions as a country.
“So Far Away” is a beautiful song with the touch of soul to make it stand out from the rest. The blend of the timeless piano and the soothing jazz really brought this song to life, whereas “The Morning After” has a more somber feeling that focuses on its rich, lyrical story.
Their closing track, “Lark,” is a beautiful sendoff for such a lovely record. This track stays true to their sound and highlights them, not only as a group but as individuals, too. Loebe describes this song as an “abstract meditation on earth and life and letting go, chock full of love and loss and a whole lot of tenderness,” which couldn’t hit the nail on the head any more perfectly.
Their album is described as an album with “intriguing juxtapositions not unlike the aforementioned balance of lyrical depth and effervescent fun,” and I don’t think it could be explained anymore clearly or accurately. The amount of love, heart, pain, and soul poured into this album is indisputable and inspiring. I’m so proud that this stumbled into my lap because it gives me hope as a female songwriter that my music has a place in this world, so thank you to all three of you!
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