You may know of Julia Blair from her singing in the Appleton, Wisconsin country-rock group Dusk, who released their self-titled debut album on Don Giovanni Records in 2018 and received some critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and Stereogum for their 2015 single “Too Sweet." You might also know of her as co-conspirator in the experimental folk-collective Holy Sheboygan! or even as co-founder of the Crutch of Memory Enterprises label and recording studio. This February, Julia’s releasing her first official full length solo album on Crutch of Memory - entitled Better Out Than In.
On her debut solo album for Crutch of Memory Enterprises, Better Out Than In, Julia proclaims her fondness for self-expression and demonstrates her aptitude for dynamics: from the explosive nature of a pop hook to the firm, comforting grip of a lullaby. She does so at-times anecdotally, while utilizing the marriage of sophisticated arrangements and plain-spoken lyrical language. Better Out Than In touches on punchy, soulful pop on centerpiece tracks like “Relax”, “Just A Cue”, and “Fantasize”; traditional folk-inspired compositions like “Wanderin”, and the three lullabies distributed throughout the album; the introverted string and piano ballads “Barbara” and “Waste Away”; and baroque-driven pop songs “Shy Dry & Dreary” & “Make The Darkness Go Away”. On the concept behind the album, Blair shares: "Better Out Than In was produced over the course of three years at our in-house studios at the Crutch Of Memory compound in Appleton, Wisconsin - in the heart of the "Fox River Valley". Crutch of Memory was established several years ago, mostly as a private studio for the creative output of members of Dusk and Tenement. Since then, it’s taken on its own identity as a record label and destination recording studio. This album is the second release on our flagship series. Our goal is to establish a catalog of artists and material that we're heavily involved and invested in creatively; through songwriting, arranging, performing, and recording. We bring our favorite artists to our neck of the woods and let them swim in our pond, so to speak. Our hope is to bring out what we love most in these artists, and in the process, insert what makes us unique as musicians, songwriters, and producers as well. What we hold important is that we make great records and capture our own individual acoustic: what one could call The Fox River Valley Sound." Included in Better Out Than In’s writing and production team is Julia Blair (player, producer, songwriter), Amos Pitsch (Tenement, Dusk)(producer, player, songwriter), Andy Harris (Jaill, The Goodnight Loving)(player), Colin Wilde (Dusk, Black Thumb) (player, songwriter), Ridley Tankersley (Dusk) (player), among many others. Justin Perkins, who recently mastered the extensive Replacements reissues, played in the groups Yesterday’s Kids, The Obsoletes, and Bash ‘N Pop, among others, and has made a name for himself under his company Mystery Room Mastering, mastered the album for vinyl and digital formats. | 
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