On The Verge

Lera Lynn

Athens, Ga.
Running the Gamut
www.leralynn.com

“Athens has shaped me as an artist and there are pieces of me that will forever be connected to the spirit of the community here,” says singer/songwriter Lera Lynn. She’s also grateful for the opportunity to lend her voice to Patterson Hood and the Downtown 13 on the recent single “After It’s Gone.” The group of local musicians recorded the track to protest the development of a Wal-Mart in downtown Athens and “fight to preserve our beloved little town,” Lynn says. In addition to her Classic City collaborations and past work with Athens folk outfit Birds&Wire, Lynn released her solo debut this past spring on SLOW Records, Have You Met Lera Lynn? She performs her “dynamic and sincere, Americana-influenced pop music” with both acoustic and electric instrumentation, which she says has challenged the band to take a completely different approach to songs and causing the live show “to run the gamut from head-banging electric solos and full-on belting to sweet duets with mandolin and banjo.” This summer, she will work on her next LP. After that, it’s on to touring the U.K. followed by a tour with k.d. lang, and then, hopefully, releasing the record and touring to support it this fall, Lynn says. “There’s not much downtime in sight!”