Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris may come to mind when listening to Nashville’s Violet Delancey, but her upcoming When the Clock Strikes Midnight is a blend of fresh and modern with American roots music sprinkled in. The February 19th release features nine original songs and two country covers- Guy Clark’s  “She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and Gram Parsons “Luxury Liner”.

Delancey’s academic background in mythology helped her develop a unique songwriting style. After several years of studying other people’s stories and putting them into song, the time came for her to tell her own personal tales. Listen to “Back to Sea” off her new record below. It’s a message to her late grandmother and the memories that bring Delancey happiness.

“I wrote ‘Back to the Sea’ after my grandmother passed away,” Delancey has explained. “When I first returned to California after her death, it struck me that mostly everything seemed the same as time was cycling forward, except that she was missing- somehow deep down I had expected to find her there even though I knew she was gone.  My most vivid memories of her are by the ocean, and I think that’s where she was the happiest, so that’s where I feel her presence (and, in some way, her absence) the most acutely.”

Violet Delancey will be performing at Rockwood Music Hall (stage 3) on January 28th.