Esmé Patterson has featured a couple of times on MM, but her latest solo release is a fascinating concept. It is a collection of responses to songs in popular music about women, written from the perspective of the subject of each song – Jolene (Dolly Parton), Alison (Elvis Costello), Loretta (Townes Van Zandt), Caroline (The Beach Boys), Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles), Evangeline (The Band), and Irene (Leadbelly).

It was inspired by her trying to learn Loretta in a hotel room and in her words, “I started thinking about how one-sided and subjective a lot of ‘love songs’ are, and how a lot of women immortalized in songs might tell a different side of the story if anyone ever asked.”

Tumbleweed is her brilliant response to Loretta – have a listen below, and the album will be out on the 1st April via the Greater Than Collective.

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There is an excellent interview with Esmé Patterson about the concept on Denver Westword here.

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