Most of us 90’s babies know how the Powerpuff Girls were created— with a little sugar, a bit spice, a dash of everything nice, plus a drop or two of Chemical X giving them their superpowers. Up until I’d met local singer-songwriter Louise Page, that cartoon was just that— a cartoon of my youth. However, her electrifying style, fiery attitude, and benevolence has led me to believe that she might be the fourth sister. Although she’s not flying around the city fighting crime, she’s got a voice that packs a punch and you can witness it for yourself at her album release show this Saturday (7/20).
“This [Silver Daughter] is my first full length album, coproduced by myself and Calvin Lauber of Young Avenue Sound, “ Louise said. “I’m gonna be honest, it has A LOT of feelings. “There’s heartbreak, there’s healing, there’s triumph, empowerment, and anger. There’s some righteous female rage that’s not just definitive of my personal life, but the times we are currently in. With all that being said though, it’s a reminder that despite it all, there’s always a silver lining.”
Louise, a native Pennsylvanian, entered the local music scene in 2016 after playing piano at a Grl Power Pop-Up Event at Urban Outfitters. That first event would then lead to more and more gigs, and in 2017, she recorded her first single with local sound engineer Blair Davis and her first EP with her newfound band members Annalisabeth Craig (violinist), Michael Laurenzi (saxophone), Jawaun Crawford (trumpet), and Michael Todd (percussion).
Photos by: Kaitlyn Flint// MUA: Daniela Lawson
“Up until that first gig, that technically wasn’t even supposed to be mine, not many people knew that I could play. It was almost like a party trick. *laughs* ‘Like OMG, Louise is just randomly good at playing piano… who knew?’… I started out playing mostly solo sets and recorded my first single, but I had always had this idea that my songs would have more parts than just me and the piano. So I got this ragtag band together to record my EP and we all just jived really well because we all came from this concert band background. It was like we spoke the same language.”
Having played piano since the age of three, in addition to picking up the oboe, playing on a drum-line, and being a member of choir, Louise’s identity as a music kid has transcended from a hobby to a now full-time career. Her recently released music video for song Future Runaway Bride, shot and produced by local collaborative Studio One Four Three, acts as a visual representation of her taking a leap of faith to runaway with her art— to ditch the things that weren’t bringing her joy to dedicate time towards pursing her passions.
“I started off by monetizing my piano skills because I’m classically trained. Hit me up for your dinner parties because I can do some classy, jazzy sh*t. My own sound is defined by strong vocals, strong keys, and this orchestral backing. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that my songs are delicate though. There are still some songs that, you know, kind of slap.”
“That first month or so was pretty scary. It’s the fears that are like, ‘I don’t know if I should have done this. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to sustain this.’ But on the other hand, I get to collaborate and connect with so many talented people and use my own talents to support a community that’s supporting me and my art. It’s surreal.”
In February 2019, Louise organized a benefit concert for Mariposas Collective, a Memphis-based grassroots organization (previously called Migration Is Beautiful) working to help immigrants who have been detained while crossing the southern border. The show showcased eight local acts and all proceeds went towards gathering resources for those asylum seekers who had been released from detention centers and were on a journey toward reconnecting with their family in other parts of the US.
“If my music can make it so I have a stronger platform to effect positive change, that would make me very happy. I’m not in this to be famous or to go viral. My goal is to be successful, and my definition of success is going to sound kind of cheesy, but it’s staying true to myself, making art that I’m proud of, and supporting my community— and I feel like I’m already doing that, so that keeps me happy.”
Louise hopes that you’ll join her in making this a special night with her band, supporting bands Crystal Shrine and Mama Honey, and afterparty DJs, Bored Lord and Ross al Ghul.
- What: Silver Daughter Album Release Show
- When: Saturday, July 20 @ 8PM
- Where: Minglewood 1884 Lounge
- Cost: $15
