August 3 & 4
Terminal 7
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Al Olender utilizes her voice and guitar to pull from the enduring melodies of classic folk songs, stacked high with harmony. Drawing influence from the songs her dad would sing to her in the grocery store and the eclectic CD collection of her mother, Olender’s music takes quiet turns toward unapologetic loud femininity.
As a singer/songwriter, facing her fear of the truth has been a cleansing, often cathartic process that’s led to the kind of revelations Olender had previously thought unobtainable. On her debut full-length album Easy Crier, the artist asks: what happens if we vow to never tell a lie, ever again? Charting the daunting territories of staring your demons right in the face and prodding at the ugly parts of your reflection, Olender pieces together her most vulnerable moments to produce a celebratory and beautiful rumination on grief and reminds us of the power that comes in really getting to know yourself.
@alolender
Photos courtesy of Adam Episcopo/AE Media