Albums often function a bit like time capsules. They are representative of the life and feelings of artists at a particular moment in time. In the case of St. Louis–based singer-songwriter Beth Bombara, her latest offering captures the many ways both she and the world itself have changed since Bombara’s previous record, Evergreen, was released in 2019. Things have changed quite a bit since then, but her latest effort, It All Goes Up, finds her looking for the positives.
“From the start, thinking and reflecting that way, to see things in a positive light even though it has been a tough time for a lot of people, sort of informed the themes of the record,” Bombara says. “Even the sound of it, to me, was a bit more hopeful and joyful.”
Get a guide to the region’s booming music scene
Subscribe to the St. Louis Music newsletter to discover upcoming concerts, local artists to watch, and more across an eclectic playlist of genres.
While Bombara’s Americana-inflected rock music has been compared to the likes of Linda Ronstadt and Aimee Mann, It All Goes Up, which she produced with her partner, Kit Hamon, is a bit more stylistically varied than past offerings. Bombara says she was hesitant to include some of the songs that made their way onto the final record, but she is ultimately satisfied with her sonic journey.
“This record feels sort of like a time capsule of me working through some things in a certain period of time and experimenting sonically with some things I’d never done before,” Bombara says.
After years without playing it, reconnecting with a classical guitar—how it sounds and feels different from an electric or acoustic guitar—was one of the major ways that Bombara toyed with her sound on It All Goes Up. She also tried to create more “musical space” on this record, opting for minimal lyrics on some songs in favor of more robust, lush instrumental sections from the band. That meant layering in lead guitar parts and strings over base recordings of the group tracking the songs live in the studio to achieve a warmer, fuller sound on the album.
With the release of It All Goes Up on August 4, Bombara is excited to get back on the road and play more of the record for audiences, including an album-release show at Old Rock House on August 18 and several regional dates throughout the late summer and fall. While she notes that she can feel a bit too close to the material while working on it, getting reactions from the crowds she encounters on the road helps give her perspective.
For her, it always brings to mind the old Andy Warhol quote: “Don’t think about making art; just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
Bombara intends to do just that.
Live and Direct
Catch Beth Bombara at these regional performances in the months ahead.
August 18: St. Louis
The Old Rock House (album release party), 1200 S. 7th
August 19: Berwyn, IL
FitzGerald’s, 6615 Roosevelt
August 24: Nashville
The Underdog, 3208 Gallatin
August 25: Nashville
WMOT: Finally Friday, 3rd & Lindsley
September 14: Wausau, WI
Grand Theater, 401 N. 4th
October 19: St. Louis
Joe’s Café & Art Gallery, 6014 Kingsbury
