Article Contributed by Think Press
Published on January 25, 2025
Wryn (they/them) is an avant/folk singer-songwriter based in Lompoc, a small city north of Santa Barbara, CA. During a period of deep transformation that began four years ago, Wryn embarked on a journey that brought outward changes to their moniker, sound, and gender identity. This reinvention, both in sound and spirit, became the ethos of their new album, aptly titled Shapes, set for release in 2025 on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. The album is produced by Bella Blasko (The National, Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift) and features performances by Mike Lewis (Bon Iver) and JT Bates (Bonny Light Horseman, Big Red Machine).
On the album’s second single, “Snake,” Wryn explains, “This song stems from righteous anger.” They process the political upheaval of the post-pandemic world with a raspy intimacy reminiscent of Sharon Van Etten. The resulting song is “a call to something older and deeper. It taps into my own personal experiences of not just systemic violence but the intimate and interpersonal kind.
“Having experienced assault in my past, this song was a way to transform my own pain into a call to action. ‘I can’t wait for an answer before I get free.’”
The single follows the album’s first release, “Steady,” which came out in 2024. A personal anthem, Wryn wrote “Steady” during the COVID-19 lockdown. Initially grappling with uncertainty, the song’s meaning has deepened for them after being recently diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, AVM (arteriovenous malformation). Wryn reflects, “The meaning of ‘Steady’ continues to grow as I do. It has always captured a continuous reach for embodiment and integration.”
Following the album’s release on March 28th, Wryn will embark on a tour with Righteous Babe founder and artist Ani DiFranco. “I love Wryn’s music, and I hope you do too,” says DiFranco about Wryn joining the label, releasing their debut album, and opening the April run of the “Unprecedented Sh!t” Tour. Full dates for the tour are listed below:
“UNPRECEDENTED SH!T” TOUR
SUPPORTING ANI DIFRANCO
