Chicago musician Sofia Jensen’s project Free Range is a little country, a little folk, a little emo and more than a little — and by that I mean really — good. She capably and truly hits the heartstrings on a regular basis with her intimate songs but reaches new depths on a fleeting-yet-potent new track called “Hardly.”
Forthcoming Free Range album Lost & Found was demoed by producer Tommy Read and his sister Hannah Read (aka indie folk-rocker Lomelda), who helped Jensen whittle down 50 songs’ worth of material to 13 tracks. To say that Jensen is naturally prolific is an understatement and perhaps something born from a means to cope.
“I have a pretty easy time being honest lyrically and in music,” Jensen shared, “but in my daily life I’m a pretty private person and have a hard time telling people exactly how I feel. Being truly vulnerable with other people is a lot harder than you’d think.”
Luckily for Free Range’s followers, Jensen turns that into her songwriting superpower. On “Hardly,” she takes a dysfunctional relationship and weighs the good against the bad to figure out if it’s worth keeping, like many of us have to do throughout the course of our lives. Unlike many of us, Jensen kicks all of this around with guitar on overdrive as she sings:
I hardly notice when I measure you
Against me
But I could tell when you were pulling me through
The darkness in this room
Cause all I wanted was just someone to look to
You hardly notice when I glance at you
Hear Free Range’s “Hardly” on the album Lost & Found out March 28 via Mick Music and right now on this episode of What’s All This via the player at the top of the page. I’ll have another collection of tunes ready for you at 2 p.m. this Sunday — and every Sunday — on 88Nine.
Best new indie music this week
- Sparks, "Do Things My Own Way"
- Hachiku, "Fun For Everyone"
- GUM, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, "Telescope"
- Sunflower Bean, "Champagne Taste"
- SASAMI, "In Love With a Memory (ft. Clair)"
- JayWood, "BIG TINGS (ft. tUnE-yArDs)"
- Mamalarky, "Feels So Wrong"
- Free Range, "Hardly"
- Frog, "JUST USE YR HIPS VAR. VI"
- Black Country, New Road, "Besties"
- Dana Gavanski, "Leaving Home Again"
- Peel Dream Magazine, "Kaaterskill Trailhead"
- Hooky & Winter, "horseshoe"
