Introducing: Esmé Patterson - GigslutzGigslutz

Esmé Patterson is a singer/songwriter, former member of Americana group Paper Bird, and the incredibly talented new feminist icon you didn’t know you were looking for.

At a recent TEDx conference, Patterson explained the concept behind her upcoming album, Woman to Woman: “I was learning to play a Townes Van Zandt song called ‘Loretta’ and I started thinking about how these women were frozen in time… in black and white. And I though they deserved to be coloured in”. The album contains a collection of songs written from the perspective of women previously immortalised in famous songs, including the likes of Lola, from ‘Lola’ by The Kinks and The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’, giving them stories that have so far been unconsidered.

The album’s leading track, ‘The Glow’ gives a voice to Caroline of The Beach Boys’ ‘Caroline, No’. Aside from being incredibly clever and inspirational, Esmé Patterson has the most incredible voice. She sounds not unlike Cat Power – hazily smooth and wonderfully wispy, but with an empowering strength needed to compliment the Americana-influenced backing and impart her message effectively. Whilst beautiful in its fragility, ‘The Glow’ oozes just the right amount of subtle power.

Lyrically, this track is somewhat different to a lot of the album – Patterson suggests a weakness and mortality in Caroline – “It breaks my heart, too” – that perhaps The Beach Boys avoided in order to criminalise the character. Other songs on the album give women a seemingly lost sense power and determination; Eleanor Rigby, for example, whilst previously made to seem lonely and fragile, now seems at peace with the thought of death. Whatever the message, Patterson gives these women the stories they deserve.

Woman To Woman will be released February 2015, and also includes songs from the perspective of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, Michael Jackson’s ‘Billy Jean’ and Elvis Costello’s ‘Alison: I can’t wait to hear the full collection!

Melissa Svensen

@MelYeaahh