BRITTI ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM HELLO, I’M BRITTI. ARRIVING FEBRUARY 2, 2024 VIA EASY EYE SOUND
ALBUM PRODUCED BY DAN AUERBACH
ARRIVES FEBRUARY 2 VIA EASY EYE SOUND
LISTEN TO THE SADE-MEETS-DOLLY LEAD SINGLE
NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU + VIDEO HERE
The album (available for pre-order now here) shows the many sides of a singular voice: pairing shimmering country-pop with bright trills (much like childhood favourite Dolly Parton) on Back Where We Belong; breathy purrs atop the hazy reverie of 90’s R&B on Silly Boy; and full-on bellows alongside sumptuous horns paying homage to her New Orleans home on Save Me. Ever the savvy producer, Auerbach enlisted a remarkable group of first-call players to uplift Britti’s formidable instrument, including percussionist, Nick Movshon (Amy Winehouse, Wu Tang Clan), Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Sharon Van Etten), guitarist Tom Bukovac (Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks), and keyboard wizard, Mike Rojas (Yola, Miranda Lambert), among others.
Listen to the album’s lead single, the stunning Sade-meets-second-line groover, Nothing Compares To You, which blends slinky guitar and synth interplay with Britti’s featherlight vocals, here. And watch the video for the track, which highlights Britti’s beloved hometown of New Orleans alongside her mesmerizing movement, here.
Britti “grew up in the most musical environment in the world,” Auerbach observes. “It’s in her DNA.” Raised by her mother and grandmother — whom she dubs Brown Sugar and Cayenne Pepper, respectively — Britti was surrounded by music in the family home: classic soul and R&B, blues, zydeco, and more. Her uncle, the eminent jazz bassist Roland Guerin, invited her to attend his gigs with Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and others. Britti soaked it all in while nurturing her own talent at every turn: school chorus, church choir, harmonizing with the radio on long car rides. “Singing is my passion,” she says, “but it’s also my purpose.”
After earning a degree in music performance from Loyola University, Britti fantasized about being “discovered” and pursuing a life in music. Yet for the better part of a decade that life revolved around working in a music store, selling instruments to people pursuing their dreams, while deferring her own. The devastating end of a long-term relationship combined with a pandemic furlough prompted a moment of clarity. “I remember saying this out loud in prayer,” she recalls. “‘What if I actually try believing in myself?’ I had this whole dialogue with my ancestors, my spirit guide, and the divine like ‘What if I try?’”
She began posting videos covering songs by some of her favourite artists, including Auerbach’s own, Whispered Words (Pretty Lies), from his debut solo LP, Keep It Hid. Auerbach found the video online and within days the two were meeting in Nashville, discussing a collaboration. “I’m sure he’s great with everybody,” says Britti, “but we definitely vibe.”
Their shared interests and influences are on display throughout the album as each track tells its own compact story. The tunes span a range of sounds and emotions, with Britt’s unique vocal style the thread that runs through all of them. It’s a voice you won’t soon forget, and Hello, I’m Britti. is the perfect introduction.
HELLO, I'M BRITTI. TRACKLIST:
1. So Tired
2. Still Gone
3. Nothing Compares To You Back Where We Belong Keep Running
4. Silly Boy
5. Lullaby
6. There Ain’t Nothing Reach Out
7. Save Me
8. Once Upon A Time