Laura Cortese Shares New Single "Lucky Water" Ahead of Compass Records Album

Acclaimed fiddler, singer, and songwriter Laura Cortese has shared 'Lucky Water,' the title track from her forthcoming album, Lucky Water, out October 9 on Compass Records. The album is now available for pre-order.

A breezy, bittersweet reflection on family, distance, and the traditions that connect generations, 'Lucky Water' finds Cortese remembering a ritual that has been part of family for as long as she can remember and wondering how to carry it forward for her own children.

''Lucky Water' is more or less a family hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park, on the ancestral lands of the Atsugewi, Yana, Yahi, and Maidu peoples, that my aunts, uncles, cousins, and I have done every year since my mom was born,' Cortese explains. 'It's a short, steep hike with a meadow at the top. Each year we stop at the same spots, look for the flowers, put our feet, or full bodies, in the freezing stream. It's not a ritual with pomp and circumstance, per se, but through repetition it has become a touchstone.'

On the album, she channels that profound shift in perspective of what we leave behind and what we carry forward throughout. Nearly a decade after moving to Belgium, she is now married and raising two young children while navigating what it means to call more than one country home, transforming the way she thinks about home, family, identity, and belonging.

Recorded primarily at Betty's, the rural North Carolina studio opened by electropop duo Sylvan Esso, and co-produced by LOLLIES, Lucky Water moves fluidly between chamber folk, roots rock, and indie pop. Across the album, Cortese considers connection from both personal and global perspectives: the wonder of childhood chatter on 'You're All Sound' explores commitment and shared struggle on 'Tied in a Knot' and 'Starry Ceiling,' and revisits childhood memories on the nostalgic 'Lucky Water' and 'Calling Across the Lake.'

The album looks outward on 'Hush Now Child,' inspired by Belgium's 'Iron Harvest,' the ongoing discovery of unexploded munitions from two world wars, while 'Half Mile Away' explores the lasting impact of conflict across generations, before 'Adieu, Adieu,' closes with a communal toast to resilience and better days ahead.

The album's first single, 'Face the Rain,' was written at her kitchen table in Ghent, Belgium, staring out a sliding glass door at a grey sky when Cortese's young daughter spotted the sun breaking through the clouds and announced, 'Mama, Mama, it's sunning and raining. Let's go find the rainbow.'

Making the album also required Cortese to find new ways to collaborate across continents. As the songs took shape, she first turned to acclaimed Nashville singer, songwriter, and producer Mary Bragg to help hone them. Five intensive days at Betty's, centered on Cortese's voice and fiddle alongside reeds from longtime collaborator Matt Douglas (The Mountain Goats, Hiss Golden Messenger), were followed by five more days at Betty's, during which songwriter Clare Reynolds (LOLLIES) later helped expand the album's sonic world while preserving its intimacy.

Long respected in folk and fiddle circles as a performer, instructor, and collaborator, Cortese discovered folk music through fiddle camps while growing up in San Francisco. A Berklee College of Music graduate, she has performed from Carnegie Hall to Madison Square Garden, toured with artists including The Mountain Goats and Aoife O'Donovan, and traveled internationally as a musical ambassador for the U.S. State Department. She also co-founded the Boston Celtic Music Festival and Miles of Music Camp and launched an award-winning concert series in Belgium.

In support of Lucky Water, Cortese will launch a North American tour in October, including appearances at FIDDLERS! Festival, Celtic Colours Festival, and Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival, along with shows in Boston, Brooklyn, Montreal, and more. Tickets are available here.

Lucky Water Track Listing

1. Face the Rain

2. You're All Sound

3. Lucky Water

4. Calling Across the Lake

5. Tied in a Knot

6. Hush Now Child

7. Starry Ceiling

8. Half Mile Away

9. Calling Across the Lake (Reprise)

10. Adieu, Adieu

Laura Cortese Tour Dates

October 11 – FIDDLERS! Festival @ Roxbury Arts Center – Roxbury, NY

October 13-16 – Celtic Colours Festival – Cape Breton, CN

October 18 – The Rockwell – Somerville, MA

October 19 – Jalopy Theatre – Brooklyn, NY

October 21 – Blasty Bough – Epsom, NH

October 22 – P'tit Ours – Montreal, QC

October 23-25 – Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival – Chelsea, QC

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