Quality Americana

Sunday Cowboy is a unique offering that sits somewhere between country and bluegrass with fingerprints of traditional folk. The opening track “Laura” shows the distinct production style that combines environmental sounds with flowing water and celtic style fiddle, followed by the raw bow and string tones in “Aos Si” that hints at Middle Eastern melodies.

The album is a style of music that’s difficult to label, as if it needed one. The layered vocals stand out as well as the soft-spoken style that can be impossible to make sound authentic when not in a true inspired direction. Wyatt has found a sound all her own with endless intricacies to discover with each listen.

Growing Up

Wyatt was raised in upstate New York where she started taking lessons on the violin. Her family soon relocated to Florida where she continued work on music and studied audio engineering.

“I’m the only one in my family to write any original music, or really take music as seriously as I have, but my Mom is one of the reasons I started learning how to play guitar to begin with,” Wyatt said. “She was definitely critical in that in the beginning and then I kind of just took it from there.” 

Her first albums were inspired by indie-folk and had a more polished production style, something Wyatt has moved away from for a more natural, artistically driven production with Sunday Cowboy.

Netflix and Amazon Prime

The more inspired direction has led to placement in an Amazon Prime show “with that guy Adrian Brodie… it’s about tennis.”

The song featured Eli Waltz on harmonies and harmonica.

“The first time we went on tour was the first time we ever met in person,” Wyatt said about Waltz, who just released a wonderful collaboration with Wyatt. “He flew in and we met in Seattle and just went on stage together. We had never met and never played together, but we just popped on stage and winged it.”

Another release was featured in Ginny & Georgia on Netflix.

“During covid I just did a bunch of collabs with people because I had nothing better to do. It was just kind of for fun and I never thought twice about it, I just recorded it in like a day and then five years later I get contacted that they want to put it in a Netflix show,” Wyatt said. “It’s so random, and it’s like the stuff you worked the least on. It’s like the stuff you didn’t even think about. You just busted it out in a day, and then you work on an album and spend a whole year on it, and just put so much blood, sweat and tears into it and then it gets nothing.” 

Though the algorithm placement will remain a mystery, the local scene in Washington has taken notice of Wyatt’s unique works, and she’s been asked to join local shows and festival bills.

Little House on the Prairie

Wyatt has artistic inspirations that go beyond music, opening the album with rushing water and horses as well as vintage television clips. 

“I like to do a lot of like soundscapes in my stuff,” Wyatt said. “The opening song ‘Laura’ is about Little House on the Prairie, so I wanted to open with things that you would hear if you were living in a place like that.”

Wyatt included vintage clips from carnival barkers, and there’s even a clip from the Andy Griffith show in the album.

“I just really like to get lost in music and the environment of it,” Wyatt said. “I’ve been trying to do that more lately.” 

Wyatt joked that her artistic inclination wasn’t exactly “playlist friendly,” but to us it makes the album stand out as an artistic work.

Bare

“I have this element of music that’s more like ethereal, indie stuff, and then I have some just straight up like country-folk fiddle tunes,” Wyatt said. “They work together for me. I don’t really want to have to choose between the two.”

Wyatt has been performing the song recently with a friend playing a hand saw with a violin bow, something the crowd has taken a shine to.

“We have a lot of wildlife around our house and a lot of little bunnies and animals, and sometimes I just sit on my couch and watch them and just think about life and how life would be so much easier if we were just an animal with no cares in the world,” Wyatt said. “I know it sounds silly, but when you really think about it, it’s pretty depressing.”

De-Esser

Wyatt was inspired sonically by fellow artist Victor Simpson, who releases under the artist name De-Esser. 

“He’s actually one of the reasons I’m out in Washington,” Wyatt said. “His music just kind of changed my life in a lot of different ways, but mostly with his writing. I think he’s one of the most genius lyricists and indie artists of this generation.” 

Through their online correspondence, Wyatt came out to perform and record with De-Esser, and through that experience decided to move across the country.

“During college and during covid we would collaborate remotely, and then four years ago I moved to Colorado.” Wyatt said. “My parents thought I was crazy.”

Something Somehow

Our Song of the Day looks back at a regretful decision Wyatt made in times of financial hardship.

“When I was in high school, my parents as a gift bought me this really nice ukulele, and I don’t really play ukulele, but I just held on to it forever because I’m a sentimental person,” Wyatt said. “Last year money was really tight and I was just panicking and I sold it for really cheap on Facebook Marketplace. It was just like a rash reaction and it was just gone within the day and then I immediately regretted it because it’s a dumb move to let go of something sentimental.” 

As Wyatt lamented her decision to sell the Ukulele, words started to pour out into a song. 

“I was pretty annoyed with myself about it for a few days and then these lines just started coming to me about other people feeling the guilt of doing things for money that they wish they didn’t do,” Wyatt said. 

The song tells the story of four different people going through the same experience of desperation. 

“Every time I play live, that’s like everyone’s favorite song,” Wyatt said. “Its kind of surprised me.”

Support the Artist

The album is pressed on environmentally friendly PET plastic, a non-toxic, recyclable product.

“That’s kind of a new frontier for music and I’m really happy to be a part of it,” Wyatt said. “I just want everybody to be aware of that option because I feel like a lot of people don’t even know, and just print their stuff on PVC vinyl, and it’s just so bad for the environment and also bad for you.”

More information about Hannah Wyatt can be found here.

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