Photo credit: Daniel Glenn Padgett
On America, Lila Tristram reshapes herself as an artist. Known first for hushed folk songs written in moonlit solitude, she now leans into collaboration, layering guitars, synths, and drums to create something bolder, more expansive, and deeply human.
The album’s emotional core lies in “Sounds Like Easter”, where a delicate build bursts into a raw cry of “I love you” repeated until her voice breaks. “Closer” wrestles with the paradox of artistry—its yearning for freedom and constraint—its soaring chorus revealing Tristram’s newfound strength. By contrast, “Overtake”, written simply on acoustic guitar, offers a pause, grounding the record in her folk roots. “Strawberries” dives into the subconscious with stream-of-conscious lyrics and a mid-song shift into darker textures, while the nine-minute “Hallelujah” closes the album with a spiritual, wordless release that defies today’s culture of brevity.
Recorded between London and Wiltshire with producer Gus White and an ensemble of gifted collaborators, America documents more than musical growth. It traces Tristram’s movement from the city’s restlessness to the creative intimacy of community, from fragile introspection to unapologetic power.
With upcoming appearances at Rotterdam’s Left of the Dial and New York’s New Colossus Fest, Tristram stands at a new threshold. America is her boldest step yet, an album of transformation, clarity, and voice.
