(MPG) Austin-based artist Taylor Rae shared today a cover of Grateful Dead's "Althea." The song arrives as a bonus track off her new album The Void, produced by Grammy-winning artist/producer Eric Krasno (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Soulive, Lettuce), which released earlier this year.
"Recording 'Althea' was a bit of a game-time decision during the week of tracking, but with Eric producing, and being one of the best guitar players out there, I couldn't pass up the chance to collaborate on it," stated Rae. "I've been covering this song with my band for nearly a decade, and it just felt right in the context of this album. It brings a little breath of fresh air to the collection."
The anticipated follow-up to her acclaimed debut Mad Twenties, The Void is an immersive and wildly eclectic album that both confirms Rae's status as an Americana A-lister as well as reaches far beyond the genre's borders. Filled with the most personal songs of her career, it's a sharply-written record that celebrates the contradictory and complementary parts of the human experience, exploring life's dark corners - from breakups to intergenerational trauma - with a colorful mix of roadhouse roots-rock, modern-day folk, alternative music, blues, and analog Americana. Anchored by a songwriting style that explores the uncharted spaces between genres, she took inspiration from the roots of American music while also maintaining a modern edge.
Recorded out of Krasno's studio in Pasadena, The Void features songs that are vulnerable, self-examinations rooted in loss and heartbreak, while others are celebrations of new love. Together, they explore the contrasts that have filled Rae's life of late: darkness and light, chaos and balance, closed doors and new beginnings. The result is a stunning blend of cinematic slow-burners, self-empowerment anthems, raw stripped-down field recordings, bluegrass-inspired barn-burners, and even the occasional reggae rhythm.
Highlights include the "swampy country funk" (Holler) juggernaut "Maybe I'm The Villain," as well as the lustful and longing "Cologne," which Magnet Magazine raved as "the sort of bluesy sway Robert Plant and Alison Krauss lock into with their take on Randy Weeks' 'Can't Let Go,' from Lucinda Williams' Americana masterpiece, Car Wheels On A Gravel Road." Rae also recently released the single "Telluride," featuring a guest appearance by Grammy-nominated artist Sierra Hull, which Relix called "easy listening and an ideal track for a journey on the road or of the heart."
Ahead of The Void's release, Rae made her stand-out debut at SXSW, which prompted NPR Music to name her to their Best of SXSW 2025 list and Austin Monthly to feature her as a Must-See Local Artist at SXSW 2025.
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