Hudson Valley-via-Northern California singer-songwriter Meg Lui (who has previously released music as M. Lui, Grover, and as part of Ember Isles), released her first single for Asthmatic Kitty, “Gone Girl,” back in February, and now she’s announced her debut album for the label. Instant Validation is due out on September 25, and was produced by Sufjan Stevens, who she’s collaborated with before. It also features contributions from Hannah Cohen (backing vocals), David Lizmi (bass), Sam Evian (alto sax), Chris Holdridge (drums), Keenan O’Meara (production, guitar, and vocals), and Olivier Manchon (violin and viola), with Sufjan playing most of the other instruments. “In the past I’ve tried to fit into some sort of Americana or indie mold, and it always felt a little flat to me,” Lui says. “With Sufjan there was so much more out-of-the-box thinking, and we ended up adding layers upon layers that created an unrestrained soundscape for the record.”
The album includes “Gone Girl” and Lui’s cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams” that came out earlier this year, and she’s shared a third single, “Elvis Queen.” It features backing vocals from Liam Kazar, and she says, “This song is about my aunt who was a huge Elvis fan. At first it was a very slow, sentimental song, but we sped it up for the final version—she was a very joyful person, so it made sense for it to feel a little bit like a party.”
MEG LUI – INSTANT VALIDATION TRACKLIST
1. Gone Girl
2. Elvis Queen
3. Roadkill
4. Dreams
5. Are You Out There (crimson & clover)
6. Instant Validation
7. Miss Queen Know It All
8. Andromeda
9. Monumental
10. Time Thief
11. Formation (of me)
12. Bluebird