Seattle singer-songwriter Halley Greg first rose to acclaim during the blind auditions on
Season 20 of The Voice. John Legend called her slowed-down, piano ballad version of Nelly
Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” “poetic” and “beautifully crafted,” and the performance earned
her a spot on Team Kelly. Her appearance on the show coincided with the release of her
debut album, American Harlot, a feminist rebranding of the pop/rock albums of the early
2000s. Filled with distorted guitar solos and pithy pop vocal melodies, the album is an ode
to empowered women everywhere—a rock and rage romp with a few upbeat bops and
heart-wrenching ballads thrown in for good measure. The first line from the title track
exemplifies Greg’s brand of sultry, cutthroat sass: “Welcome home dear / Take off your
shoes / I’ll massage your feet and your ego, too.” American Harlot received acclaim from Seattle press and was featured on Talking Tracks, a podcast by Seattle music publication Dan’s Tunes.
While American Harlot mostly confines Greg’s anger to personal epithets, her sophomore
release, recorded with Eric Lilavois at London Bridge Studio (Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews
Band), is a critique and catharsis of America’s spiciest socio-political controversies. Aptly
titled Straitjacket, the album takes on issues from gun violence to systemic racism. Greg’s
pure and ethereal voice cuts through raucous guitar riffs, while her lyrics are so thick with
social critique they’re almost punk. Think the clarity of Regina Spektor, the attitude of No
Doubt, and the arrangements of Paramore.
Find the transcript here.
Disability Empowerment Now is produced by Pascal Albright.
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