Beloved East Nashville songwriter Tristen is set to return with her third full length, Sneaker Waves, on July 7 via Modern Outsider Records, and has debuted a new single “Glass Jar,” which features backup vocals from Jenny Lewis, with whom Tristen has spent a good part of the past couple years as a touring member. Finding a happy medium between the serene 2011 release Charlatans at the Golden Gate and her ace foray into the synth pop spectrum with 2013’s C A V E S, the new single sees the talented songwriter veering into a quirky, retro direction that, unsurprisingly, seems inspired by spending a significant amount of time of late with Jenny Lewis, and feels more akin to her earlier work.
Tristen speaks of the isolationism that the song addresses: “‘Glass Jar’ is about having a conversation with someone and feeling a disconnect, like there is a slab of glass between you. Sometimes I feel like I am a spider in a jar and the other person isn’t trying to get to know me, rather they are playing with me to see my reaction. And this leads back to the way we communicate; the image I create of myself, and the image I create of the other person is interacting with the other person’s self image and their image of me. It’s about feeling trapped, tested, and even set up for failure.”
Dig into the video for the new single below, and celebrate Sneaker Waves‘ release July 13 at American Legion Post 82, for an event billed as “Tristen the Night Away,” which will feature a special night of music, comedy, and party, hosted by Chris Crofton and featuring appearances from Caitlin Rose, Jessi Zazu, Birdcloud, Cortney Tidwell, Vanessa Carlton, Jessica Lea Mayfield, PUJOL, Kate York, Emily West, Quichenight, Justin Collins, Erin Rae and Pete Lindberg, and Thelma & the Sleaze.