After a childhood in tiny Coshocton, Ohio, a move to Columbus and a gig playing bass in her family’s New Wave/Rock band as a teenager, Lydia Loveless set out on her own musical path at the age of 17. In 2010, the 20-year-old Loveless released her debut album, The Only Man (produced Greater Cincinnati’s venerable David Rhodes Brown), which was critically acclaimed but just barely heard by the general public.
That same year, Loveless played a Bloodshot Records showcase at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and subsequently signed a contract with the esteemed modern Americana label. Her debut for the label, 2012’s brilliant Indestructible Machine. Bloodshot’s reputation and distribution resulted in an exponential rise in profile, and every media outlet that heard the album recognized Loveless’ obvious talent.
Once the touring cycle for Indestructible Machine was complete, Loveless confronted the lingering question that faces every artist in the wake of sudden success — namely, how to follow up the vehicle of that success. Some people can’t wait to get back to the studio to prove that their previous triumph was no fluke and was, in fact, merely a hint at their future potential. Loveless did not take that particular approach when she began work on what would become the just-released Somewhere Else.
Lydia Loveless performs Friday at the Southgate House Revival with The Screaming Walls. Tickets/info: southgatehouse.com
