Mother of My Children (Grapefruit Splatter Vinyl)

Katherine Paul is Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Mother of My Children is her debut album. Recorded in the middle of winter near her hometown in Northwest Washington, Paul's connection to the landscape's eerie beauty are palpable throughout as the album traces the full spectrum of confronting buried feelings and the loss of what life was supposed to look like. Heavy and heartbroken from the loss of her mentor and the breakdown of a relationship, Paul found respite in the creation of these songs that "are about grief and love for people, but also about being a native person in what is the United States today." On Mother of My Children, the songs weave together to capture both the enduring and fleeting experiences of loss, frustration, and dreaming. The structures are traditional, but the lyrics don't adhere to any format other than what feels right in the moment. It begins with lead single "Soft Stud," which Paul describes as her "queer anthem" and is followed by "Indians Never Die," a call out to colonizers and those who don't respect the Earth. Mother of My Children is a life chapter gently preserved. The access listeners have to such vulnerability feels special and generous.