Mary Bragg to Release SECRETS TO STRANGERS, Produced by John Paul White

Mary Bragg has announced her sixth full-length album, SECRETS TO STRANGERS, set for release through Single Lock Records via Secretly Distribution. Recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, the project marks Bragg's first new album in over four years and was produced by John Paul White and Ben Tanner. Alongside the announcement, Bragg released the official video for the lead single, What Do I Do, a duet featuring White that also appears in the accompanying visual.

Secrets to Strangers will release on October 16th through Single Lock Records via Secretly Distribution.

'So much of this record is about giving yourself permission to enter a day and not have the answers to all your problems,' stated Bragg. 'But at least saying, 'These are my problems.' Being real with yourself about how hard this life is, because a million things get thrown at you and you don't always know what to do about them.'

Every great song is essentially a secret told to a stranger. And when the truth is clear, the stranger recognizes themselves in it. Whether those conversations happen from the stage, in therapy, or between strangers at an airport bar, they're all attempts to bridge the distance between people. With her sixth full-length album, Bragg does just that, as she delivers a collection of deeply personal stories offered to the outside world. Across twelve songs written with notable co-writers including Mindy Smith, Maia Sharp, Brady Stablein, and Zach Berkman, she approaches memory, longing, and self-acceptance with grace and lyrical finesse anchored by her signature songwriting craft that 'beautifully weaves rock, folk, and Americana' (Vice/Noisey) and has been hailed by NPR as a 'refined, sumptuously melancholy take on southern storytelling.'

After years of producing and engineering her own work, as well as for others (including Grace Pettis, The Accidentals, and Jackson Emmer), Bragg handed off the reins this time in order to expand her sonic landscape and open herself up to new creative possibilities. The search led her two hours southwest to Muscle Shoals, where Ben Tanner and John Paul White were waiting with open ears. Bragg quickly found a kindredness with White, Tanner, and the Shoals, having grown up in a similar topographical and cultural small town in rural Georgia. Together, they assembled a dream team of players, including drummer Chad Gamble (Jason Isbell's 400 Unit), bassist Zac Cockrell (Alabama Shakes) and guitarist/keyboardist Jay Gonzalez (Drive-By Truckers). The result is a record that moves beyond easy categorization, one that stretches Americana to include indie rock, pop, early '80s radio vibes and southern soul.

'Being in the Shoals felt like home to me. But I'll attribute the feeling largely to Ben and John, because we are all cut from the same cloth. When we started recording, none of us knew how joyful it would become, not only musically but personally.'

'Working with Mary is a producer's dream,' stated White. 'She's a total pro, works hard, hits her marks. Sings beautifully - and like no other. This is one of my favorite projects I've had the pleasure and honor to produce - and no small part of that is how much I adore her as a person.'

Tracklist

01) Kid Flamingo

02) Hi-Fi

03) Secrets to Strangers

04) What Do I Do (feat. John Paul White)

05) Champion Sleeper

06) Easy

07) B-Side

08) Way Back When

09) Stop Thinking

10) I Like It Here

11) The Game

12) Speaking Different Languages

Tour Dates

08/20 - Nashville, TN - City Winery

08/30 - Farmers Branch, TX - Bankhead Brewpub

09/19 - Nashville, TN - AmericanaFest

09/23 - Columbus, OH - Natalie's Grandview*

09/24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall*

09/25 - Peoria, IL - Dingeldine Music Center*

09/26 - St. Louis, MO - (ware)HOUSE Concerts

11/22 - Los Altos, CA - House Concert

* w/ The Secret Sisters

About Mary Bragg

Hailed as Nashville's 'Americana Queen' (Vice/Noisey), Mary Bragg has quietly become one of Music City's most respected artists/songwriters/producers. The Swainsboro, GA native began to fully come into her own with her critically acclaimed 2017 record Lucky Strike, which was praised by NPR as a 'sublime distilling of Southern grit.' It was followed by Violets as Camouflage, which earned further acclaim from Rolling Stone as a 'mix of classic country twang and gentle chamber-pop' as well as NPR Music who named it one of the year's best and raved 'These gorgeously crafted and executed songs touch the listener on a deep level, where insight occurs.' Bragg would take her fervent, vulnerable songwriting to the highest level with her 2022 self-titled album Mary Bragg, a lush and achingly gorgeous collection of raw, honest, and unguarded new songs that confront heartbreak, grief, and self-actualization. No Depression called it a 'personal and powerful set featuring a courageous plumb line,' while Americana Highways hailed, 'Mary Bragg levels up as songwriter and producer,' and Folk Alley said her 'exquisite vocal performances convey her struggles and triumphs with both intimacy and vulnerability. As we listen, we live her pain alongside her. We feel with her the tentativeness of moving forward, acknowledging regret, and grasping hope.' Bragg tours extensively, both with her band and solo, playing headline and festival dates to ever-growing audiences across the US, Canada, and Europe. Having opened tours for the Indigo Girls, The Secret Sisters, Mick Flannery, and Caroline Spence, Bragg is gearing up for a robust new chapter, because, as Saving Country Music said, 'Watch out.'

The twelve-song album includes co-writes with Mindy Smith, Maia Sharp, Brady Stablein, and Zach Berkman, and features musicians including drummer Chad Gamble, bassist Zac Cockrell, and guitarist and keyboardist Jay Gonzalez. Bragg, who has previously produced and engineered work for other artists including Grace Pettis, The Accidentals, and Jackson Emmer, said the sessions in Muscle Shoals opened her up to new creative possibilities alongside White and Tanner.

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