63 JANUARY 2019 Rachael Wright , describes to , describes how she had to had she how singer-songwriter Photography: Photography: her twin sister, Katie before unlocking her her unlocking before Waxahatchee Eve Barlow unpick her self-destruction Crutchfield, aka celebrated In the Los Angeles home of of home Los Angeles the In

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WAXAHATCHEE problem What Katie did next: “I was fighting my natural tendencies,” says Crutchfield. I fight in her but it’s one for a better future, not against a troubled past. troubled a against not future, better a for one it’s but her in fight away,falls anger airier,gets room higher.the roof the a still There’s the onstage, song Williams’s performs she as But ceilings. low with dives sweaty for tomakemusic used She Philadelphia. and Brooklyn in scenes DIY between moving previously determined, and prolific Crutchfieldthroat.is her burning ire the pain, of place a from written was It mind. awfulbreak-up, her an toxicfrom toof deletea ex aiming eye the in lived Storm(2017) The In Out record. rock raging a wielded hand.” empty an with stuck got I like looks you/Andit lost I new,when something around came they

64 people are.”people my who out figured I’vemeant sober “Getting up: Fired

Crutchfield wears heartbreak like an old hat. Last time around she she around time Last hat. old likean heartbreak Crutchfieldwears MAY 2020 by Lucinda Williams. “These blues are are blues “These Williams. Lucinda by Abandoned of cover Crutchfieldintoa leads then band the path, this down Continuing touringcompanions. as time their from favourite Barnett’s was It’60s. the since folk singing been likeshe’s it delivers She moniker.the under fifth her – Cloud Saint record new her from out leaps that tolove promise countryfied a Much.It’s Do Can’t singing starts and guitar acoustic an up picks dress, black a in out Crutchfieldcomes FatherVanSharon Johnand Misty Etten. including friends, with show a hosting Valentine’sIt’s onstage. Day. is Barnett Waxahatchee,Crutchfield,aka Katie invites singer-songwriterBarnett Courtney Australian LA, Downtown in theatre a n

onstage, travel to mind –and also inevitable growing pains. “I was addicted to the speed of all of it,” it,” of all of speed addictedtothe was “I pains. growing inevitable delaying awayonly running was realised but depression, of dog black the staveoff and touringtotry used she’d past the In choice.” a have didn’t to.I had I knew “I nod. a with Crutchfieldaffirms down,” ” hard. physically startedtoget night every that Doing . claustrophobic a was Storm.“It The In touringOut of end the at ragged run was instead.She songwriting her on concentrate and road the off toget decision the hyper-conscious,”saysof was she “It eternity.an is Forrelease full-length a without years Crutchfield,three wall.” the against head my banging was I towritebut trying was “I warmth. the up lapping and dress sun a in garden back the in sitting decompress. and down toslow herself forcing Mostlywas music. she new on wantedtowork She books. her from remained whatever tour.last toher night teamthat toclear out asked her tofly She’d about was She kitchen. the in back Crutchfieldtaken,hung portrait snow,the Morbyin as playedout havinghis and, colder degrees Kevin Morby.boyfriend with shares FebruaryThat was morning decoratedsimilarly.is City Kansas in home Katie’s aesthetic. punk this by tied forever they’re but apart far live twins Fugazi.The Descendents, Ramones, – names band three of frame a including paraphernalia, rock and mountedtowalls guitars features home multi-storey,The bands. many in haveperformed light-drenched Together, here. lives Swearin’, band frontedPhiladelphia sisters the formerly who Allison, twin Her house. intoa Q towelcome street struggling go to drinking alot.”drinking situation. Iwas The plight of the touring musician is restlessness. “Yourestlessness. is touringmusician the of slow plight can’t The recalls, she stride,” “Youmy hit I before right toKansas came she day,which tothe house, ago that year Crutchfieldin A met Q the in barefoot Crutchfieldcomes Rock, Eagle in morning next The wrong state of – easy do to if victim the to you “I felt like a ’ re inthe re “I woke up and I knew. I was done. I had seen myself myself seen had knew.I I done. and was wokeup I “I bender.the saysof she terrible,” emotionally and physically,so felt “I hurrah. mentally Crutchfield’slast Youyou. up.’” it tosuck need than bigger It’s service. of act an is doing you’re ‘What said: She it. of out me snapped “She perform. and onstage out togo refused had she when night a on her called Marlee, friends, best her of One lot.” a drinking also and – mind stateof wrong the in you’re if todo easy totravel– onstage, togo struggling was I situation. tothe victim likea felt “I grind. the towards resentful Crutchfieldgrew but fatigue, the was maybeit alcohol, the was it Maybenot.” it’s and normal, as intoit myself totalk easy so was It free. it’s there, “It’s day.groundhog on-the-road saysof to-dayshe life,” day-my in up tied so tostopdrinking.“It’s had she that from comes that peace the about It’sFire. single lead head.” my toclear needed I what exactly was it hump the over Waxahatcheegot I “Once decade. a for with on been now she’s juggernaut a saysof she The JuneThe in out immediatelyrings afforded she’s clarity The Primavera festival in Barcelona was was Barcelona in festival Primavera 2018 tosobriety. commitment: big another tomake and validation external from todetach her helped It practice.” creative my in up tied isn’t identity whose person a be myself: on towork tried “I back-burner. therapist. a got She the on music put she feelings, her through writing Insteadof smiles. she me,” was problem new.sawsomething she “The lookedinward, respiteand into Crutchfieldleaned Once sings. she attuned,” and slow and wiser am “I chase. the up giving It wasn’t news to Crutchfield toCrutchfield news wasn’t It

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GETTY T from above, assessing that night with no desire to distort its memory.todistortits desire no with night that assessing above, from sun. the beneath says,gleaming she woman,” later.new year a a returned Barcelona “I light. felt She revisited she when came proof The true.” it’s realised I two or month a Afteryourself.’ recognise gonna not sober,got ‘You’reI toldme, “When friend songs. a storiesintoher narrates her wayshe the changing traveller,a as perspective shiftedher Sobriety smoother. recovery her made That high”. pretty says,“was she bottom, rock Her tohappen.” had this that seen had I time. long a for person sober a as Saint Cloud is a place; a gator-filled Floridian suburb outside gator-filledoutside a suburb place; Floridian a is Cloud Saint she is looking down on her former self self former her on down looking is she if As released. Crutchfieldhas anything than prettier and weightless breath; new likespeakersa the memory. into waltzes It the rewinding she’s like almost march, slow a It’snight.” the married white, in “Barna Oxbow: song the with Primavera at there begins album he

were confusing to everybody.”to confusingwere Twin peaks: with sister Allison Twinsister with peaks: (left), New York, New (left), said that you havetodrink you that said game. “Kevingame. baseball Bulls Durham a at met she who Cook, Brad producer with songs trackedthe She been.” ever I’ve place hottest the “It’s Doon. . “We2017. Afterwards, she travelledtoTornillo,she Afterwards, Texas Bonny Julywith last [ Morby punk indie-rock identity. Bingo. “This is the sound!” identity.sound!” indie-rock the punk is “This Bingo. a with instantly.references country married They knew she night, first the On Doon. Bonny band Detroit with ago year toura final that on up wound she that haveit would Luck likeme.” sounds that album Americana an totogetherequal equation the put couldn’t “I sound. that made collaboratorswho haveany alt-underground,didn’t the she in rooted is Welch, career her Given Harris. Emmylou Gillian Williams, Lucinda – Crutchfield’sthinking view,”process. eye the bird’s saysof she the “Toout.is writing of sweetestspot the me way the waveall the ridden she’s when happens work best her feeling,but the jackedon she’s when inspired too.most Crutchfield is perspective, new tothis evoketitle apt an It’s America.”) in city likeany feel could that town a needed (“I from is Crutchfield’sfather where Orlando The palette of country was also colouring colouring also was country of palette The ] always told me about this guy Brad he knew who who knew he Brad guy this about alwaystoldme ounces of water a day.a water of ounces likehe 100 was It Getting the twang of it: of twang the Getting Crutchfield onstage at onstage Crutchfield WAXAHATCHEE Festival,Washington, Huichica WallaHuichica Walla MAY 2020 MAY 2020 September

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2011, and MAY 2020MAY 2012) alone in her childhood In In tandem, astarted Crutchfield PS Eliot disbanded in Eliot everyone in Birmingham ushated – especially the guys.” local positive feminist collective. “It was she OUTRAGE,” still says, amused “The message by boardsthe misogyny. That informed a were lot crazy. of where we byourselves.” took Powered collective frustration, they went to Brooklyn. They churned out andEPs , and in played a second band – Bad Banana. “Riding that young angry early feminism informed how I became a person.touring I got out of Birmingham in many she ways,” says. began after Crutchfield Waxahatchee aint Cloud continues proveto that is Crutchfield one of America’s strongest She’s songwriters. almost reverse- engineered a seat at the table adjacent to those female pop stars who broken outhave of their universes. own Crutchfield boxed-in adores pop. She’s been Lana listening to Del Rey’s (“herlatest best”), Lover by Taylor she – Swift, says Billie and Eilish.– divisively, “Her songs are the thing I the like most album Her of favourite the pastabout her.” 2017 debut, Cntrl. “But I can’t wait for the new 21. I was doing more drugs, drinking a lot.” The album 2013. She was prepared – she’d put out five albums’ worth of By this point Waxahatchee is a Rihanna in By the this indie point stratosphere.Waxahatchee A is song well. Morby on He’s Crutchfield’s about finish to a tour. Recently the couple were discussing what animals they both “It “It gives me hope that my life will remain sustainable,” she says, most resembled. decided Crutchfield is that a Kevin golden retriever. convinced he’d nailed it, Crutchfieldtold Morby, A perfect analogy. that she most resembles a… crow? is Crutchfield met with sympathy at this revelation. She’s in definitely flight though. A bird on the wing, soaring high above her demons.

five years is SZA’s five years is SZA’s Rihanna. She is number one.” Lana Del Rey must probably be Swift, Whenlistening, too. Crutchfield encountered Maggie Rogers, Rogers hertelling fawned, she used to attend PS Eliot This showsis the back type in of the validationday. on takes Crutchfield the chin. She doesn’t the play social media game. She’s quit. “It’s a trash fire,” she Someone says. else attends herto Her biggest lesson accounts is for in her. learning find to happiness “It’s forced outside me figure of to out her who career. my people are,” she actual reflects. “My people.” album – The Eye – documents a relationship with another touring musician: “Our feet don’t ever the touch ground/Run ourselves ragged town.” town “There’sto a lot of people in my life who think that song is about them and it’s Withit’s cute. the Kevin first time I’ve dated someone in the same position as me,” she of says their equal level of success. “That’s really nice.” bedroom. bedroom. It one took week. “I was in my parents’ house, there was a snowstorm, I’d just had the kind you of can insane only break-up have when you’re was well received. Since its release she’s put out three in LPs quick succession, all acclaimed. Her breakthrough sophomore came in music over the previous ten years. knocking on the garden table. “What is life, if not constantly changing? evolve as People they age. When I this started project it was born out of I self-discovery: realised that I don’t function well in a democratic creative dynamic. life My is differentHow did in Ievery possible way. get here? So much had happen.”to made a debut (American Weekend, made a Weekend, debut (American S

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31, she “felt The hounds of love: with “golden retriever” Morby. Kevin rutchfield has rutchfield been writing songs for over half her life. Now Creek, six like, years.” In Waxahatchee Alabama where she grew up, she listened Wynette. Lorettato and Tammy Lynn She still rolls her eyes about that. At she and Allison their started first bands. Underground and They loved The Velvet But country. rejected the “We Ramones. it was there.always It was hard – this natural conflict.” 2010s normcore – tattoos, floral dresses, is shared. We did everything 20 together.” is shared. We 2003 and ‘Ohthinking, God!’ But it was cute.” Beyond Cook, she allowed You hear the Southern lilt in You the the racket twins made. At Oak The twins were reared on musical theatre, thanks their to mother, Allison and Katie are “mirror twins”. In the womb, the egg split at Katie was the leader. “I was a dictator,” she laughs. They discovered“I was a Katie was dictator,” the leader. became one of the biggest bands “We in our town,” Katie the Swifts, Rather however, than become the emo Taylor was the leader of the cult of hydration,” she laughs. Cook is unlike anyone else she’s ever met, she says. “I opened up him He to reflects inher. a I’ve way never opened up someoneto I made music with.” She allowed him her into vault”– “concrete the lyrics. something else in: the music of her past. The that reckoning came with finding a new relationship with herself allowed her hiding stop to certain truths. Mainly that she grew up loving Americana, and it was time stopto resisting it, relax to her fists. “I had this and natural atendency for melody, traditional sounding voice,” she says, “I was fighting it.” proudly. Mountain high school Mountain they formed The Ackleys: Allison drums,played times I that listen to stuff “At and think, Katie was lead songwriter. ‘I can’t believe this is out in the world.’ It’s looking like at a ofphoto yourself from Tracy. Which could explain her tendency towards melodrama. Tracy. “I don’t I care was about busy huge watching movies or Park Jurassic like ET. obscure-ass musicals that nobody has seen outside of deep theatre kids.” The twins also attended dance class. They were in choir. had our were weird twins. We “We They Theyacted. remained shy. own little world with each other.” the last possible moment before rendering them conjoined. They’re Katie got her precise first of opposites on tooth one heranother. right- side. Allison’s came through at the same time on the left. hair“My hers the parts exact I’m in She’s opposite. right- one left-handed, way, handed.” Her memory gets caught up in Allison’s. “When I’m talking about the old I days ‘we’ say So and much ‘us’. of I our tell shared story. my identity before I was Nirvana ten years after Cobain’s death in the heyday of LimeWire. Grunge hadn’t come back around but in eighth grade they dressed like They were didn’t manyconfusing make everybody.” to it had. “We strong friendships outside their bubble, so put all their energy into their band. They at excelled it, becoming a polished pop-punk act. could pack out venues.” remembers. “We drummer was favourite Mo pulled Crutchfields the “Allison’s plug. This was not the band we It started. was supposed beTucker. to Being became outcasts a theme. scrappy.” They fed off the exclusion of the “bro-y” scene they were engulfed in. Soon, the politics of the Bikini Kill and riot grrrl records they admired becometo started relatable. They began again as an even scrappier band: PS Eliot. The are very videos on YouTube jagged haircuts, lyrics. navel-gazing “When we first came out as PS

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function well in a in well function project it was born born was it project “What is life, if not if not life, is “What

democratic creative out of self-discovery: People evolve as they as they evolve People I realised that I don’t I don’t that I realised constantly changing? constantly age. When I started this When age. WAXAHATCHEE JANUARY 2019 JANUARY

her inner Loretta: “I rejected country. But it was always there…” Crutchfield Crutchfield unleashes 66