LAUREN MINEAR - Chasing Daylight

On Rotation: "Chasing Daylight"

You can tell when a singer truly feels the lyrics they’re singing. To a singer deeply intertwined with a song, even small instrumental choices often reflect deep memories and emotions in the singer’s mind. This kind of emotional honesty shows itself in full force in the latest single from Lauren Minear, “Chasing Daylight.” Released as the first single and title track from Minear’s forthcoming sophomore album, “Chasing Daylight” features a balance between folky grit and modern indie production that feels like a meeting between Lucinda Williams and Phoebe Bridgers. The guitars carry a Nashville-like twang, but the song doesn’t feel like a country song. Instead, it keeps its roots firmly in folk and leans a bit into a driving, smooth-rock sound.

Don’t let the airy synth textures in the background fool you, however, as there’s plenty of substance in Minear’s lyrics. Her voice, perseverant in its tone, is clawing for healing. In her view, Minear doesn’t view the process of recovery as a progression, but rather a returning to one’s true self, the one they were before they were taken into the darkness. “Daylight,” therefore, is the moment when Minear remembers who she was, the buildup in the song’s conclusion perhaps resembling that breakthrough into clarity. Small details like these are exactly what make singer-songwriters captivating, and why Lauren Minear and “Chasing Daylight” sound like the beginning of a new standard-bearer in modern folk.

Catch "Chasing Daylight" on Spotify: