Veiled by catchy melodies and a wide vocal range are the truly somber sentiments that span most of Liz Longley’s new album, Weightless — a work produced by former Asheville resident and Band of Horses bassist Bill Reynolds. But the juxtaposition isn’t a coincidence. “Songwriting is the cheapest form of therapy,” Longley says. “It helps make sense of situations and emotions that aren’t yet understood. … In the process of writing these songs, I felt empowered and refocused on what is important in life.” Forging intimate bonds with fans certainly seems to top that priority list for the Berklee College of Music graduate, who sheds all pretense with highly personal lyrics and digitally broadcast pay-what-you-want concerts from her home. Longley also performs in person at The Altamont Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. $15/$18 ($25 premier seating). thealtamonttheatre.com. Photo by Bob Longley
Smart bets: Liz Longley

Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.