About Lydia
Singer/songwriter Lydia Brownfield
spent many years honing her craft in Atlanta. She opened for artists including Loudon Wainwright III, Peter Case, Shawn Mullins, and Indigo Girls and played shows with her band in the area’s top clubs.
Before settling in Columbus, Brownfield became a regular performer in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village and began a recording career that has continued to date.
Her songs reflect a lifetime of rich and also very human experiences. They include growing up in Columbus, Ohio, and studying at the local fine arts college. A decade of living and performing in Atlanta and touring the south. A move to New York City and going through two difficult divorces. And most importantly, becoming a mom. All of this brings a dramatic, energetic, and entertaining live show.
Brownfield’s music influences range widely from folk and alternative country to power pop and punk, and her songs cross many of those same genres but find a comfortable spot among edgy folk/pop artists. Her pure and powerful voice has been compared to Alison Krauss, Sinéad O'Connor, and Sheryl Crow. Brownfield’s range of experiences extends to her live show. She may perform either solo, accompanied by her partner and guitarist, Jeff Dalrymple, or play with her entire band. The result is a gifted lyricist showcasing a vast catalog of thoughtfully crafted and beautifully executed songs.
Lydia's latest release is a deep dive into the patterns of her own relationships.
Jeff D. and Me - Columbus' favorite duo!
A Q&A with Lydia
“Among the first artists in my own cassette deck were Siouxsie and the Banshees, X, Sinead O'Connor, Patty Smith, P.J. Harvey, Everything But The Girl, The Smiths, The Pogues, Joy Division, David Bowie, Talking Heads, New Order, Violent Femmes, Roxy Music, Devo, Elvis Costello, Adam and the Ants, The Clash, Kate Bush, Tom Waits, Sex Pistols.... this list could go on and on and on. These were the artists that I would play into the ground. Over and over until I had to buy the tape again and again - and then later, of course, I had to buy it on CD. ”
M.M. Tell me more about your music.
L.B. “Well, I guess it's pop. I mean, who doesn't want their music to be popular? I really hate that word, pop. Maybe it's anti-pop. Some songs are sort of power pop. There's lots of Alternative or Indie Folk Rock in there, and my voice can get a little Country. It's desperate. It's edgy. I write about things that happen in my life. The things I fear, the ones I love, the places I've seen and the darkest roads I've been down. In general, my songs all have a common thread. A mix of hope and despair is as close as I can get. It's easier to say what it is not than what it is. It's not happy, but hopeful, it's not sad, but introspective, it's not angry, just misunderstood.
M.M. Did your family listen to a lot of music when you were a child?
L.B. Yes! As a young child my family listened to Jazz - lots of Bossa Nova; Jobim, Stan Getz, and other true Jazz greats like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. The '30's and '40's swing vocalists like Ella F., Louis A., Cab C., and Edith Piaf were favorites of my grandmother. My foundation years; it was all female folk. Carly Simon, Ricky Lee Jones, Carole King, Buffy Saint Marie. And in my teen years I was bombarded with my brother's influences, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, Rush, to name a few. But everything changed when I began listening to my own choices.
M.M. Who were your biggest influences?
L.B. Among the first artists in my own cassette deck were Siouxsie and the Banshees, X, Sinead O'Connor, Patty Smith, P.J. Harvey, Everything But The Girl, The Smiths, The Pogues, Joy Division, David Bowie, Talking Heads, New Order, Violent Femmes, Roxy Music, Devo, Elvis Costello, Adam and the Ants, The Clash, Kate Bush, Tom Waits, Sex Pistols.... this list could go on and on and on. These were the artists that I would play into the ground. Over and over until I had to buy the tape again and again - and then later, of course, I had to buy it on CD.
M.M. When did you start writing songs?
L.B. I started writing songs in the early nineties. My early days were the biggest influences for me. After moving to Atlanta and immersing myself into the music scene, I started to listen to some truly AMAZING music by artists such as Ani Difranco, Nirvana, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Radiohead, Portishead, Morphine, Jeff Buckley, Muse, Beck, but mostly I was influenced by my music cohorts that I was sharing stages with, my band mates and other musicians I hung around with.
M.M. Are you totally loving anyone's music these days?
L.B. You know, my feelings about music have sort of changed. I find myself getting into artists who have something deep and meaningful to say that reaches the center of my soul - or voices and arrangements that hit a certain chord and give me creative inspiration. Music legends like Patty Smith, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone to name a few - and other newer artists like Jack White, St. Vincent, Iron & Wine, Lord Huron, Sufjan Stevens and Juana Molina. I still really get excited about new sounds and styles. And these days with everyone's music everywhere online I stumble onto all kinds of mind-blowing music. What an amazing mix of wonderful, beautiful and talented humans in this world!
I'm still not exactly sure what 'type' of music I play, or even what 'style'. but whatever it is, I hope you like it."