Alt-Americana Band Foxfeather Explores Betrayal and Loss in “Ghost of You”

With a pleading tone and a desperate heart, “Ghost of You” showcases the group’s depth of emotion.

Alt-Americana group Foxfeather brings subtle darkness to their sweeping folky sound in their newest release “Ghost of You” which was released on March 25. Detailing the sting of loss, betrayal, and what it’s like trying to regain your identity through that, lead vocalist Carly Smith draws listeners in with her desperate drawl and raw honesty. Joined by co-writer and guitarist Laura Stratton, the two craft a track with profoundly evocative lyrics, singing “years keep passing by, you still skin me with your smile.” The song builds emotionally as Smith’s tone slips deeper into anguish over “the full and utter isolation that follows betrayal and abandonment.” “We have all lost ourselves, someone, something at some point,” the band explains, and it was Smith who “had been facing such a loss, of friendship, of identity, of trust and of faith” when the song was made. In this way, the song “delves deep into the well-known world that exists after loss,” a world many are familiar with today.

With the help of Blake Smith (electric guitar), Mark Dabrowski (bass), Jay Elliott (drums and percussion), Oliver Jacobson (violin), Kate Farmer (backup vocals), and Eric Moon (organ), “Ghost of You” explores the core emotional barriers of heartache and doesn’t hold back. Sonically producing “the inner turmoil of losing touch” while lyrically describing it, Foxfeather is completely unique in its style. Together, the band brilliantly balances the task of delivering delicate emotions while creating an all-encompassing sound. Hoping to serve as a “powerful cry of acknowledgment,” “Ghost of You” is a cathartic track with impassioned underpinnings and palpable poignance.

As of March 25, listeners can stream Foxfeather’s “Ghost Of You” on all major streaming platforms.

Foxfeather is a sultry, Alt-Americana band founded in 2013 in Boulder, CO. Beginning with a lyrical base, and bolstered by strong blues-rock instrumentals, Foxfeather’s unique sound captivates its audience. Songwriters Carly Ricks Smith and Laura Paige Stratton met in high school, connecting over their shared love of music. The pair began writing together in 2005 and have been creating material for and leading their band for the past 7 years. Foxfeather is extremely proud of being an advocate of women in art and in business and strives to motivate and empower other women and allies through song. The band is a local staple in the Colorado Front Range and also tours nationally.

In 2014, with the help of engineer Justin Roth of Fort Collins, the group released their debut EP, Foul Moon.  The six-song collection garnered local attention, with The Marquee stating that “the group is overflowing with talent” and “Carly Ricks Smith has a spectacular voice which lies somewhere between the folky soprano of a young Joni Mitchell and the jazz-heavy range of Lake Street Dive’s Rachel Price. powerful as well as delicate.”

Foxfeather returned to the studio in 2016 to record and release their self-titled and full-length album, Foxfeather. Working with producer Jagoda of New York and engineer Jay Elliott of Boulder’s own IntroVertigo Studios, the band created this dark and dusky album. The album features a collection of songs that explore the grey areas of life, whiskey, love, and death.

2018 brought the release of a four-song EP collection, Come and Get Me. The band again worked with Jagoda and Jay Elliott but split the process between IntroVertigo Studios and Fox Run Studios in Boston. Smith and Stratton were able to show their versatility through this project, with the four songs showcasing the breadth of their voice and of their songwriting abilities.

Foxfeather is set to release their newest album in 2022 through PS Audio and Octave Records. The full-length album, entitled “The Nature of Things,” features the current band line-up and additional musicians Kate Farmer (backing vocals), Eric Moon (organ/synthesizer), Eben Grace (pedal steel/guitar), and Oliver Jacobson (fiddle). The album was recorded at PS Audio Studios in Boulder, CO, Animal Lane Studios in Lyons, CO, and The Barn in Longmont, CO. Producer extraordinaire is Eben Grace and Engineering magicians are Jay Elliott and Gus Skinas.

In the last five years, Foxfeather has captured their audience with their unique and sultry songs, sharing stages with The Gasoline Lollipops, Lee Fields and the Expressions, Yonder Mountain String Band, Woodbelly, and Andrew Bird. Their songwriting and performance is influenced by a wide variety of artists including Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Margaret Glaspy, Ani Difranco, and Stevie Nicks. The band’s current lineup includes Carly Ricks Smith (lead vocals, writer/composer) Laura Paige Stratton (guitar, keyboard, writer/composer), Blake Smith (lead guitar), Mark Dabrowski (bass guitar), and Jay Elliott (drums and percussion). The group is proud to utilize their voice to embolden and rejoice in both the frailty and the power of humanity. With expressive instrumental tone, powerful vocal melody and harmony, and passionate performance, this band is ready to win your hearts.