Song of the Day: Waxahatchee - Under A Rock

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Under A Rock” by Waxahatchee from the 2015 album Ivy Tripp on Merge Records.

Waxahatchee - Under A Rock (MP3)

Katie Crutchfield channels her years of playing in basements and writing in bedrooms to craft resonant and cathartic lo-fi gems under the moniker Waxahatchee. Raised in Alabama (the project is named for a lake near her parents' house), Crutchfield and her sister Allison (now known as the frontwoman of Swearin') spent their teenage years playing the East Coast DIY circuit, primarily as members of P.S. Eliot. When that band dissolved in 2011, Allison went on to other projects while Katie decamped to her parents' home to record her 2012 debut as Waxahatchee, American Weekend. Quiet but powerful, that record found a following online, one that increased exponentially upon the release of its followup, 2013's Cerulean Salt. That album received rave reviews upon its release and spurred Crutchfield to tour extensively with a full band behind it. For the following record, Crutchfield and bandmate Keith Spencer returned to a remote house (this time in Long Island) to record Crutchfield's most immediate and biggest-sounding record to date, this year's Ivy Tripp. Not unlike 2013's "Coast To Coast", "Under A Rock" has more magnetic melody than its subject matter would let on, but that's right up Crutchfield's alley. Crutchfield's voice is able to convey vulnerability with strength, and backed by crunching guitar chords, "Under A Rock" exposes itself as a soon-to-be concert anthem from the first lyric. Considering how many shows Crutchfield will be playing over the next year, songs like "Under A Rock" are more appealing than ever, serving as invitations into her thoughtful and honest reflections, one distorted strum at a time.

Waxahatchee were in town just last month, so it's unlikely they'll be in the Northwest very soon, but they are still touring extensively throughout North America and Europe through the end of the year. Find out where they are and find more music on her website and Facebook page. For now, watch the band play "Under A Rock" live in the KEXP studio in May: