Making Me Break

Going in, we said 'let's make a bad ass indie rock record with a sound as big and dynamic as we can, without compromising one single heartfelt lyric. Singer-songwriter Heather Maloney did just that on her newest LP, Making Me Break. Working with Grammy nominated producer Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses, Avett Brothers), the two crafted and delivered on an artistic vision to merge Maloney's folk roots with indie rock. Maloney's new music has a definite edge, but it also has a classically trained voice that delivers well-crafted lyrics over a technical arrangement-a combination we've recently seen getting mainstream appreciation once more. Suddenly, the term singer/songwriter carries serious weight again. Chalk it up to a revival of everything 90s and Maloney's influence from those bleeding hearts, as she calls them, referring to artists' like Fiona Apple, Tori Amos and Aimee Mann. Throughout the new musical heights and depths on this record, Maloney's voice and lyrics remain center stage, truthfully articulating the insights and emotions of growing up, without clichs nor quirks for their own sake. Maloney feels this record is the closest she's ever been to the sound that's truly herself. As an artist I'm constantly changing. But I think we cracked the code on blending the two worlds here, says Maloney. For now, her distinctive voice has soared a long way from the silent confines of hushed meditation, and into a natural equilibrium of progressive Indie-Folk. Mission Accomplished.