Crown Of Roses sees Patty Griffin once again forming a poetic tapestry woven from the threads of love, loss, grief, disillusionment, resilience, and hope, shifting fluidly between intimate confessions, philosophical musings, and symbolic storytelling – all grounded in intensely human feelings and emotion. Burrowing into the stories she had long been telling herself, the award-winning songwriter ruminates on a vast array of themes and deeply personal topics, spanning the trajectory of women in the 20th and 21st centuries and communion with nature to the sound of her voice after cancer treatment made its mark to the relationship with her late mother, whose wedding day photo graces the album’s cover, set into artwork by Mishka Westell that captures many of her greatest loves, including the Maine woods of her – and Patty’s – childhood.
Produced by longtime collaborator Craig Ross and featuring musical contributions from her trusted band members David Pulkingham (guitar) and Michael Longoria (drums), the album drifts from spare folk to gauzy Americana to sly gospel blues over the course of eight moody new songs that evoke the scrubby west of Griffin’s adopted Texas and the calming verdancy of her home state of Maine. From the atmospheric “Born In A Cage” and the spectral “Long Time” (which includes a backing vocal cameo from Robert Plant) to the sparse, emotional authenticity of “Way Up To The Sky,” Crown of Roses is among Patty Griffin’s most profound works to date, continuing her exceptional talent for translating thorny concepts and finely wrought character studies into songs that speak as much to her own experience as they do to the lives of those who have loved her music now for more than three decades.
“If I try to hit things on the nose, they don’t feel authentic to me,” Griffin says. “If I can emotionally dance around things, it feels like I can be more honest singing it.”
Griffin will celebrate Crown of Roses by joining forces with legendary 2x GRAMMY® Award-winner Rickie Lee Jones for a very special tour. Dates begin October 10 at Philadelphia, MS’s Ellis Theater and then continue through a November 1 finale at Dallas, TX’s historic Longhorn Ballroom. Tickets for all newly announced dates go on sale this Friday, June 6, at 10:00 am (local). For complete details and ticket information, please visit pattygriffin.com/tour.
“Rickie Lee has been a North Star for me,” says Griffin. “Knowing how undeniably sublime she is as a songwriter and performer has kept me more grounded. I mean, with songs like hers, I’ve reminded myself over and over, women have voices that need to be heard and that have great value.”
In addition, Griffin has slated a number of headline shows over the coming months. Highlights include a special record release show at New York City’s Sony Hall (July 29) and a home state headline performance at Houston, TX’s Heights Theater (October 8).
