Nashville singer and songwriter Lilly Hiatt began to experiment with new sounds during the early pandemic, helping to shake a sense of malaise that had begun to take root. This experimentation led her further from the traditional country landscape she previously worked in, incorporating shades of grunge music she heard as an adolescent.

Exploring New Sounds

Hiatt’s sixth studio album, ‘Forever’, released in 2025, is described as ‘a hot pink rock ‘n roll record’. The album reflects her growth as a woman in her 40s, understanding more clearly what she wants from her career and being deliberate about it. ‘It’s becoming a woman in my 40s and knowing a little more what I’m about and where I want to go,’ said Hiatt.

Within ‘Forever’, Hiatt deploys musical restlessness in service of songs that are more firmly rooted, lingering on domestic bliss and the sense of contentment that can arrive in the arms of the person who was meant to hold you. The album includes songs like ‘Kwik-E-Mart’, a love letter to her husband and musical co-conspirator, Coley Hinson, and ‘Evelyn’s House’, which details the allegedly haunted home the two rented early in the pandemic.

Settling Down and Finding Inspiration

Hiatt has a lot of breakup records, but ‘Forever’ is not one of them. The album is a reflection of her settled situation, and the emotional restlessness that came with physically settling was a new journey for her. ‘I’m used to running. I’m used to being heartbroken. So getting used to maintaining something that you’ve built and that you love, that’s a whole different set of fears,’ said Hiatt.

Many of the songs initially took hold during the pandemic, at a point in time when our political and social systems began to more visibly corrode. Hiatt embraced songwriting as a means of escape, envisioning a secret day tucked between Thursday and Friday where people can slip away and be free.

Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.