Zoe Butler - “Last I Heard”

On September 16, fans of indie rock-infused emotional folk music will be very pleased to hear Zoe Butler’s “Last I Heard.” According to Butler, the track explores the way that violence can harm both its survivors and its perpetrators, but even without knowing this, her lyrics paint the listener those vivid pictures that often come from the most gifted of indie folk songsmiths. However, if you take a short trip through Zoe’s bio, you will begin to understand why her lyrics are so colorful, given that, since birth, she has clung tightly to the storytelling aspect of songwriting. And with her professed influences ranging from James Taylor to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, every listener is bound to receive an earful of her vibrant tales.

At first listen, we were wondering why she would classify “Last I Heard” under the indie rock umbrella, as it begins with a lone acoustic and Butler’s smooth and controlled vocal work; however, the rhythm section soon makes an appearance and you will be tapping your feet about forty seconds after pressing play. We were able to get this review underway immediately and, once the song ended, Soundcloud did what Soundcloud does and took us on a little journey through her prior recordings, forming a solid, sonic map of where she has been with tracks like the rawness of “June” or the more modern folk “Old New England Town by the Sea,” and where she is heading with the soon-to-be-released “Last I Heard.” While this new one is not a complete departure from her previous, Americana-tinged repertoire, it is definitely a step away from traditional folk and toward the more upbeat end of the spectrum, should she choose to follow that path.

Pre-save “Last I Heard” HERE! And while you wait for its release, stream her previous offerings, including our current fave, “Hitchhiker’s Guide:”

-TM