New England musician takes the reins on convincing second album
In 2014, Lys Guillorn contributed the song “Turn the Page” to a local art project. The exhibit featured an old photo album found in a second-hand store in Paris, France, and Guillorn wrote a narrative creating a life from evocative photos of an unknown man. The lyrics form a sad retrospective of fictional people and places and it’s difficult not to be intrigued. “Turn the Page” broke new ground for Guillorn, both in the formation and the recording. The mystery of who the man is, and his legacy, is just as compelling as the artist who provided the treatment.
Guillorn has been a fixture on the New Haven music scene for some time. The singer-songwriter’s music captures a variety of styles, sometimes labeled “cowgirl goth,” “twangy rock,” or “avant-twang.” It certainly has the twang. And the songwriting is vivid, presenting personal stories deluged with graphic images.
The multi-instrumentalist grew up playing piano, guitar, banjo and violin. After stints in local bands, a friend gave a tape of Lys’ songs to filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig, who offered to produce an album. The self-titled debut took a year to make and featured several well-known musicians. But it didn’t find a label, and it sat for four years until Guillorn self-released it in 2003. The follow-up album would take twice as long.
It was worth the wait. In the decade it took to write and demo the songs for Winged Victory, Guillorn had become confident enough to take a producer role. Basic tracks were completed quickly, and then, with musician friends, texture was overdubbed: lap steel, electric piano, Hammond organ, cello, trumpet and clarinet. And, like the art project, Winged Victory was a grand step forward for the Connecticut musician.