Category: new releases

New album release: Beth Whitney’s Into the Ground

Beth Whitney’s new album Into the Ground will be out May 28, 2021. Photo: google

Beth Whitney released her first album, Leave Your Shoes, in 2007, which garnered heavy airplay in the Seattle area. She released Yellow in 2010 and Ukulele in 2012, both of which won songwriting awards and were put into heavy rotation by local AAA station in the Seattle area. In 2013, Beth partnered with neighbor and fellow artist, Bradford Loomis, to write and record a self-titled album, The Banner Days (2014) and Hand Me A Hymnal (2015.) The collaboration garnered critical acclaim while they toured extensively across the nation including a performance at the Lincoln Center in New York and reached over 2 million streams on Spotify for their co-write, “My Beloved.” In 2017 she released The Wild Unrest. Whitney’s new album Into the Ground will be released May 28, 2021 on Tone Tree Music.  (IV-PR, 2021)

With the partnership of producer and mixer Brandon Bee and engineer Matt Terjeson, Whitney’s new collection of songs lands effortlessly on beds of organic and orchestral—and at times overdriven and rhythmic—production; never coming close to overpowering the songs and the voice singing them. This week, American Songwriter premiered “Two Sons,” the third single from Into the Ground, following “In Another Life” and “Wild Horse.” American Songwriter wrote, “Reimagining the beloved parable in a modern, Americana setting, Whitney’s understated arrangement beautifully serves the winder theme…the video and the song unite to express a timely message of celebrating those who were lost, but now are found.” “Somehow over my lifetime, this idea of home has become more familiar, and more foreign, all in the same cosmic breath,” says Whitney of “Two Sons.” “I suppose many of my songs thread-in an underlying search for someone or somewhere that would take me in. This desire to be fully known and embraced is so strong in us and yet so difficult to realize. ‘Two Sons’ is a parable Jesus told and one I’ve never forgotten.” Fans can pre-save “Two Sons” now at this link.

Into the Ground showcases Whitney’s artfulness as a songwriter and her determination as a musician to stare down the chaos in front of her and weave it into something else. She welcomes grief when it is in front of her because she knows what happens when grief is left out to spoil. Whitney looks straight ahead in her music; it’s the reason Into the Ground takes listeners deep into themselves in search of a common humanity.  

Into the Ground Track list:

  1. Wild Roses
  2. Two Sons
  3. Wild Horse
  4. In Another Life
  5. Whole Heart
  6. Moonlight
  7. Huckleberry
  8. Shelter From the Storm
  9. Thunder
  10. I Go 
  11. You Leave a Light On
2021-05-28T14:44:00

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Beth Whitney’s Into the Ground release

Esther Rose releases final single from upcoming album How Many Times

Esther Rose releases ‘Songs Remain,’ the final single from How Many Times. Photo: google

Esther Rose’s homespun brand of country music has drawn comparisons to legends like Hank Williams, modern trailblazers like Rilo Kiley, and a host of other luminaries in between, but she has her own thing going on. Rose’s innate ability to reflect on her own feelings, to not cast blame, and to keep a smile while doing so brings a spark to her music that sets it apart from her contemporaries and influences alike. On March 26, Rose will release How Many Times, her third full-length album and second with Father/Daughter Records. (IV-PR, 2021)

American Songwriter highlighted Rose’s fourth single, “Songs Remain,” calling it, “Tender and moving,” and noting that, “Rose reveals her vulnerability…through fragile, hesitant lyrics.” Previously, NPR Music included the single, “Keeps Me Running” in their weekly New Music Friday playlist and Forbes praised Rose’s ability to relate to fans. Fans can hear “Songs Remain,” as well as all of the previously released singles, and pre-save or pre-order How Many Times with this link. To Rose, How Many Times, written over the course of two years—including three moves, the end of a relationship, and countless tour dates—is an album symbolizing an awakening.

With the integrity of Dean Johnson, Faustina Masigat, and Kiki Cavazos serving as primary influences, Rose expands her alt-country sound into a blossoming world of folk pop, rustic americana, and tender harmonies. “They’re the holy trinity of songwriter magic,” she says, “and when I listen to them I feel like I can explore my own heartache.” Creative touches add detail throughout the album. Rose uses a 1962 Gibson ES-120T, her first semi-hollow body electric guitar, to play unplugged for a distinct tone. On “Mountaintop,” she includes a blustery voice memo recorded at the summit of Mount Philo, an homage to the field recording in a Bright Eyes song she holds dear. From “Coyote Creek” to “Without You,” Rose’s compelling voice is ferried masterfully by the musicians that join her: Matt Bell on lap steel, Max Bien Kahn on electric guitar, Dan Cutler on upright bass, Cameron Snyder on drums, and Lyle Werner on fiddle. A collection of complete takes recorded live to tape with rich instrumentation, soul-tugging hooks, and resonating vocal melodies, How Many Times carries you into the room in which it was made. There to help realize this was co-producer Ross Farbe of synthpop band Video Age, who Rose also credits for bringing a stereo pop glow to these new songs.

Overall, it is Rose’s way of handling life that singles her out in a crowd of other singers and songwriters. Her positive attitude is uplifting while never seeming too earnest and her heavier moments never crash the party. Her trials of moving through and reflecting on both adversity and beauty are present across the record, and her voice delivers an honest and open window into her heart with graceful dexterity. While comparisons to the musical greats are flattering, Rose is on her own path, marching to not just the beat of a different drum, but to a big brass band in her very own parade.

2021-03-26T13:43:00

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Esther Rose’s How Many Times album release

The Accidentals’ new EP Time Out (Session 1) out May 7

The Accidentals new EP features songwriting collaborations. Photo: google

Female-fronted, multi-instrumentalist power trio, The Accidentals, (Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause) kicked off 2018 with the release of their debut album, Odyssey, with Sony Masterworks. They followed the album release with two-hundred days of touring nationally, seventeen festivals, sync placement with Turner Classic Movies and FOX sports, and a RAM Trucks BANDvan #tourtough commercial. In 2019, The Accidentals released a self-titled live album and toured the UK; all while scoring an indie film, teaching workshops across the country, playing with symphonies, and recording new music. Amid quarantines, protests, marches, political division, and unprecedented uncertainty, Buist, Larson, and Dause continually do what they do best; create. (IV-PR, 2021)

In the beginning of March 2020, the band was on their way to South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, after a whirlwind 23-show tour. They were told to turn around in Arkansas and head home. It was no longer safe to keep touring. On May 7, the fruits of their lockdown labor will be available on Time Out (Session 1). A five-song EP of all-new co-written material, Time Out features songwriting collaborations between The Accidentals and renown songwriters including Kim Richey, Dar Williams, Maia Sharp, Tom Paxton, and Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris.

“When the road came to a hard stop and everything went quiet, we realized the extent of what we had lost. It was devastating. We drove back to Nashville, packed some things and quarantined together in Northern Michigan. Our industry shut down completely. For the first time in eight years we didn’t have anywhere to be. We found ourselves reaching out to each other in that process of navigating the isolation. We ended up collaborating with these incredible writers because for the first time in eight years we all had time. These songs might not have happened otherwise. We wanted to somehow capture the idea that even after all of this unbelievable heartbreak, some beauty can still come from it. Time Out is a healing anthem for us, and we hope it is for you too.” – Sav Buist

Under The Radar took time to chat with The Accidentals in conjunction with premiering the music video for “Wildfire,” noting that, “…rather than simply falling into nostalgia, the band looks to the future, hoping for the promise of new life and offering a simple hand of comfort.” Fans can watch the video at this link and listen to “Wildfire” right here.

Time Out (Session 1) Track listing and Co-writers:
Might As Well Be Gold (Maia Sharp)
Night Train (Dar Williams)
Wildfire (Kim Richey)
Anyway (Tom Paxton)
All Shall Be Well (Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris)

“Some of the most compelling writers of our time… they display equal interest in the focused musical forms of indie rock and pop and the expansive potential of orchestral arrangements, jam band open-endedness, and impressionistic singer-songwriter expression.” – NPR

2021-05-07T14:26:00

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Mexican rock and pop-punk band Los Supuestos releases debut single

Mexican rock and pop-punk trio Los Supuestos releases debut single “No Me Digas Adios.” Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Mexican rock and pop-punk trio Los Supuestos present their debut single, “No Me Digas Adiós.” Now available on all digital platforms, the fast-paced and energetic song reflects upon the difficulty of ending a relationship and is accompanied by a colorful animated video by the illustrator Manuel Fermont featuring aliens, milkshakes, skateboards, and a re-kindled romance. Tight guitar lines and drum rhythms sustain the drive from start to end. (Vesper Public Relations, 2021)

Los Supuestos was born during the COVID-19 pandemic and includes members of the Mexican punk band SEIS PISTOS. With no venues to perform live, Kenio, Yorsh, and el Shinobi found refuge by rehearsing and recording, giving birth to Los Supuestos. The new band is driven by two universal powers: rock ‘n’ roll and love. These two pillars serve as both emotional and artistic sustenance for the members as they continue developing their sound.

Music, animation & virtual reality are equally important for Los Supuestos. The band’s goal is to immerse listeners and viewers in a cartoon-like world with a wild and fun soundtrack.

Miles Gannett’s single from solo debut Meridian out now

Miles Gannett’s Meridian album is due out on April 16 but the first single is out now. Photo: google

Miles Gannett, a Louisiana native, who now calls Maryland home, hears the seamless character of all music, blending and balancing strains of bluegrass with psychedelic folk textures, classic country phrasing with the propulsive notes of acid rock, and earthy blues with spectral ambience. His inventive lyrics combine the curious meditations of Jason Isbell with the story-song style of Townes Van Zandt and John Prine and the swinging rhythms of Willie Nelson. Gannett put together a group called Fractal Cat in early 2011, recording three albums of original music with them and building a reputation on Baltimore’s airwaves and live music scene. After meeting up with recording engineer/producer Frank Marchand to record Fractal Cat’s third album, Gannett started working on his “first countryish album,” which reflects his deep love of progressive bluegrass and classic country. That album, Meridian, will be released on April 16, 2021. (IVPR, 2021)

Produced by Gannett and Frank Marchand, Meridian is one part country and western, one part bluegrass, and one part roots-rock; seasoned, simmered, and garnished with a dose of psilocybin mushrooms. A pinch of overdriven guitar and a dash of Latin percussion in the occasional tune round out a unique, cosmic foundation from which Gannett tells his stories. “Meridian”—the first track on Gannett’s debut solo album of the same name—paints a waltzing, pedal-steel steeped picture of beauty in disrepair; of a city that was once grand and of the kindness of its current-day residents. On Friday, Glide Magazine premiered “Meridian,” saying, “Gannett’s warm vocals carry listeners on shimmering waves of pedal steel through various musical landscapes.” Hear “Meridian” now right here and pre-order or pre-save the entire Meridian album ahead of its April 16 release date at this link.

Gannett’s music honors the contours of traditional music even as he continues to innovate freely and ingeniously within those contours. “I’m always adding elements that might be considered irreverent or blasphemous. I always try to build on old music, but I am not making museum music.”

Meridian Track listing:
Meridian
The Lucky Ones
Thunder River, Tumbling Down
Persuasion
Let’s Have Each Other for a While
Short Haired Willie
Give and Take
Spores on Grass
Screw Loose
Dark Time
Long Burning Bridge
Maria Sabina

2021-04-16T10:42:00

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Upcoming new album release: Set In Stone by Travis Tritt

Travis Tritt’s new album Set In Stone will be out Friday May 7, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Multi-Platinum selling and award-winning artist, Travis Tritt, will release a new album, Set In Stone, on May 7 and a new single, “Smoke In A Bar,” on March 5. Tritt revisits his traditional country roots on “Smoke In A Bar,” pining for humbler times when the world was not so fast-moving and simple things were not overlooked or taken for granted. Released through Big Noise Label Group and produced by Dave Cobb, the new album features 11 new songs, 8 of which were co-written by Tritt. Set In Stone marks Tritt’s first original full-length studio album in over a decade. (AristoPR, 2021)

On Set in Stone, the Grammy winner delivers the quintessential Travis Tritt album with a touch of Americana and Roots. He pays homage to all sides of his musical personality along with the trademarks of his originality. Opening with the rowdy “Stand Your Ground” and mixing powerful love songs like “Leave This World” with searing country rockers like the first single “Ghost Town Nation,” the new album is described by Tritt as “getting back to a no-frills classic outlaw-country sound.” Available for pre-save/pre-add here.

The track list for Set In Stone:
1.“Stand Your Ground”
2.“Set In Stone”
3.“Ghost Town Nation”
4.“Smoke In A Bar”
5.“Leave This World”
6.“They Don’t Make Em’ Like That No More
7.“Better Off Dead”
8.“Southern Man”
9.“Open Line”
10.“Ain’t Who I Was”
11.“Way Down In Georgia”

Travis Tritt’s albums, seven of which are certified platinum or higher, have led him to amass more than 30 million in career album sales, two GRAMMY® Awards, four CMA Awards, including the CMA Horizon Award (now known as the New Artist Award); a Billboard Music Award for Top New Artist, an invitation to become a member of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry and a devoted fan base that has filled venues coast-to-coast. He is also dubbed one of “The Class of ‘89,” which includes Country music superstars Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson, all of whom dominated the charts in the ‘90s. Travis Tritt continues to sell-out shows and stays authentic and relevant to country music fans across the globe. His distinctively soulful voice and exceptional guitar prowess continue to be front and center.

Among his eleven studio albums and numerous charted singles are five number ones and 20 Top 10 hits, including “Help Me Hold On,” “Anymore,” “Can I Trust You with My Heart,” “Foolish Pride,” “Best of Intentions,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” “Here’s A Quarter,” “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” and more.

Throughout his extraordinary career, his talents have crossed over into film and tv, where he appeared in Rio Diablo (1993), The Cowboy Way (1994), Tales from the Crypt (1995), Sgt. Bilko (1996), Fire Down Below (1997), Outlaw Justice (1999), Touched By An Angel (1999), Blues Brothers (2000), Yes, Dear (2004), Brother’s Keeper (2013), Forever My Girl (2018), and more.

2021-05-07T10:01:00

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Marc Scibilia releases new single from Seed of Joy deluxe reissue

Marc Scibilia’s Seed of Joy album’s deluxe reissue is set for April 9. Rivals is the first single from that album. Photo: google

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, chart-topping singer/songwriter Marc Scibilia has been on a steady rise ever since the 2012 release of his breakout single, “How Bad We Need Each Other.” In the last several years alone, he has racked up more than 125 million streams across platforms, garnered praise from the likes of pop star Demi Lovato and Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas, and toured with James Bay, Zac Brown Band, Butch Walker, and Nick Jonas, among others. (IV-PR, 2021)

Since its release last year, Marc Scibilia’s album Seed of Joy has been streamed more than 130 million times across digital platforms, garnered 700,000+ monthly listeners on Spotify, and physical copies of the album sold out on the day they were announced. His fans—new and old—cannot get enough of his ability to observe profound moments in his personal life and craft them into universal anthems and ballads for others to love or grieve with. With Seed of Joy, Scibilia’s calling card is the purity found in simultaneously caring for his father during a hard-fought bout with brain cancer and watching life bloom in his young family. It is his simple reassurances of love that are equally felt when whispered to one or sung out to millions. On Friday April 9, Scibilia will share an expanded, deluxe edition of Seed of Joy with his fans, and its first single, “Rivals” is available right now at this link. 

A love song custom-made to reverberate from the rafters (just as soon as live music is back), “Rivals” exemplifies Scibilia’s mastery of the whispered verse turned soaring chorus; equally at home in sold out venues and on road trips with the windows down. “I wrote ‘Rivals’ at a hotel Munich, Germany, while on tour with Robin Schulz,” Marc says. “We were playing these massive arena shows. It was a career highlight but it reminded me of the things that are most important to me. I always had my friends, family…the things that have no rivals.” His stomping, brassy ode to those friends and family is a perfect fit for the same arenas from where it came.  He recently performed the song live via SPIN’s Instagram—watch the performance here. 

Posthumous Tony Joe White album Smoke from the Chimney

Tony Joe White’s Smoke from the Chimney is set for May 7 release. Photo: google

Across five decades as a performer and storyteller, Tony Joe White—a.k.a. “The Swamp Fox”—left an indelible mark on American music. His catalog offers indisputable classics such as “Polk Salad Annie” and “Rainy Night in Georgia” and his songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Kenny Chesney, Waylon Jennings, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, and Tina Turner. On Friday, May 7, Smoke from the Chimney, a nine-song album of never-before-heard Tony Joe White tunes, will be released on Easy Eye Sound. Produced by Dan Auerbach and rounded out by Nashville’s most seasoned studio musicians, Smoke from the Chimney started out as several unadorned voice and guitar demos from White’s home studio before being transformed into full band arrangements harkening back to the albums he recorded in the late 60s and early 70s in Nashville and Muscle Shoals—just as he was emerging as an internationally recognized songwriter and recording artist. (IV-PR, 2021)

On Friday, NPR/World Cafe gave fans their first listen of “Boot Money,” a gritty, thumping ode to keeping a little bit of extra scratch hidden away. “Boot Money” comes accompanied by an animated video from director Robert Schober which colorfully places White and Auerbach in the recording studio to kick off the tune before following along while White lives out the song’s storyline. Fans can see the video for “Boot Money” at this link and pre-order or pre-save Smoke from the Chimney here.

After his father’s death in 2018, Jody White, White’s son and manager, started transferring his father’s multitrack home recordings to digital files. Looking back on the moment he unearthed the demo of “Smoke from the Chimney,” he recalls a mix of happiness, gratification, and shock. As he continued to find other songs that did not make an album, he moved the material into a separate folder. Within a year, those select recordings would evolve into Smoke from the Chimney. Jody says that even in those basic tracks, that definitive Tony Joe White groove instantly stood out. “He always finds a tempo and a pocket that is exactly right. And it’s a little bit different than anybody else would choose themselves,” he says. Jody believes that his father would love the way Smoke from the Chimney turned out.

Smoke from the Chimney Track list:
Smoke from the Chimney
Boot Money
Del Rio, You’re Making Me Cry
Listen to Your Song
Over You
Scary Stories
Bubba Jones
Someone Is Crying
Billy

“Smoke From The Chimney” is more than a faithful tribute to one of the great Americana musicians and national treasures, performed by an ensemble who capture the DNA of Tony Joe White’s songs with beauty, warmth, and reverence.” – NPR’s Bruce Warren

New music release: The Waylon Sessions by Shannon McNally

The Wayon Sessions by Shannon McNally will be out Friday May 28, 2021. Photo: amazon

Born and raised on Long Island, Shannon McNally has, at various points, called New Orleans, Nashville, and Holly Springs, Mississippi, home, but it was in Los Angeles that she first came to national attention in the early 2000s with her Capitol Records debut, Jukebox Sparrows. She followed it up in 2005 with Geronimo, a critically acclaimed sophomore effort that prompted The New York Times to call her “irresistible” and the Washington Post to hail her as “a fine lyricist who often calls to mind Lucinda Williams.” With her new album, The Waylon Sessions, the prolific and wide-ranging Shannon McNally sets out to revisit the songs and spirit of Waylon Jennings, a legend with whom she has always had an ongoing fascination. The album will be released on Compass Records on May 28, 2021. (IVPR, 2021)

American Songwriter provided the very first glimpse into The Waylon Sessions with the premiere of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” featuring Rodney Crowell, which first appeared on What Goes Around Comes Around in 1979. Hear McNally’s take on “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” here and pre-order or pre-save ‘The Waylon Sessions’ at this link ahead of its May 28 release via Compass Records in partnership with Blue Rose.

McNally knew that assembling the right band would be essential to capturing Jennings’ mix of laid-back charm and swaggering bravado, so she called AMA-winning guitarist Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart, Lucinda Williams) to help her assemble a team that included drummer Derek Mixon (Chris Stapleton), pedal steel legend and longtime Jennings bandmate Fred Newell, Texas keyboard mainstay Bukka Allen (Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker), and bassist Chris Scruggs (Marty Stuart, Charlie Louvin). Working live and raw, they tracked sixteen songs in just five days, relying on instinct and intuition to guide their decisions at every turn. As brilliant as the band’s performances are, it is McNally who breathes new life into the music here, tackling the tunes with an honesty and a maturity that transcends genre and gender. She does not swap pronouns or couch her delivery with a wink; she simply plays it straight, singing her truth as a divorced single mother in her 40s in all its beauty, pain, and power. The result is a rare covers record that furthers our understanding of the originals; an album of classics that challenges our perceptions and assumptions about just what made them classics in the first place.

The Waylon Sessions Track listing:
I’ve Always Been Crazy
You Asked Me To – feat. Buddy Miller
Out Among The Stars – feat. Jessi Colter
You Show Me Yours And I’ll Show You Mine – feat. Lukas Nelson
Black Rose – feat. Buddy Miller
This Time
I Ain’t Living Long Like This – feat. Rodney Crowell
I’m A Ramblin’ Man
Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
Help Me Make It Through The Night
We Had It All

“My goal wasn’t to force anything onto the music that wasn’t there already. There’s a feminine perspective hidden somewhere inside each of these songs. My job was to find a way to tap into that and draw it out.” – Shannon McNally

Guy Clark documentary Without Getting Killed or Caught to premiere at 2021 SXSW

Without Getting Killed or Caught will premiere at 2021 SXSW Film Festival. Photo: google

Without Getting Killed or Caught is a remarkable documentary film about the mythical, complicated relationship between legendary songwriters Guy Clark, Susanna Clark, and Townes Van Zandt, and the art it inspired; a film with enough charm to create new fans of Clark and his music and enough depth to appease long-time followers. Without Getting Killed or Caught—which will make its virtual World Premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival March 16-20—was produced and directed by longtime Americana music producer and executive Tamara Saviano and filmmaker Paul Whitfield. The film was originally scheduled to debut at SXSW in 2020 before the pandemic shuttered the festival, and for those not already attending SXSW 2021, stay tuned for additional information on public screenings with Kessler Presents, YETI, SiriusXM Outlaw Country, and more. (IVPR, 2021)

Without Getting Killed or Caught is the true story of Guy Clark, the dean of Texas songwriters, who struggles to write poetic, yet indelible songs while balancing a complicated marriage with wife Susanna, and a deep friendship with singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, on whom Susanna forged a passionate dependence. Clark, who died in 2016, wrote and recorded unforgettable songs (“L.A. Freeway,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train”) for more than forty years. His lyrics and melodies paint portraits of the people, places, and experiences that shaped him, and no one inspired Guy more than his wife, painter, and songwriter Susanna Talley Clark, and their best friend, fellow songwriter Townes Van Zandt. 

Narrated by Academy-Award winner Sissy Spacek, Without Getting Killed or Caught follows Guy, Susanna, and Townes on their journey from obscurity to reverence: Guy, the Pancho to Van Zandt’s Lefty, struggling to establish himself as the Dylan Thomas of American music, while Susanna writes hit songs and paints album covers for top artists and Townes spirals in self-destruction after writing some of Americana music’s most enduring and influential ballads. Based on the diaries of Susanna Clark—the film tells the saga from Susanna’s point of view—and Saviano’s 2016 book “Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark,” which No Depression called “an intimate, affectionate, sometimes sad, often hilarious, and vibrant chronicle of one of our most memorable artists.”

 The film uses Clark’s songs, family photographs and archives, vintage film footage, and radio talk shows on which Clark appeared solo and in tandem with Van Zandt. The real emotional impact, though, comes from Susanna’s pained remembrances, taken from her private journals and secret audio diaries, as well as taped conversations that Susanna made of the trio and of the “salon” that regularly gathered around them—all serving as witnesses to this seemingly fated intersection of love, art, and tragedy.