Late Summer Rane: A talk with Teni Rane about the seasonal sonics of new album, Goldenrod.

With Goldenrod, your debut album, on the way, can you tell me a bit about what to expect, the album’s sound, its themes, and its messages?

Teni Rane: During the process of recording the tracks for Goldenrod, it was really important to me to stay very focused instrumentally so that the whole project would be sonically cohesive and lyrically lead. Even though the instrument choices stay largely consistent, the auditory landscape of the album is varied: leaning into cinematic, orchestral cello sweeps and gritty electric guitars while maintaining a balanced ability to tap back into intentionally crafted solo cello work and specifically placed acoustic guitar melodies.

Thematically, the album Goldenrod is about where we go in moments of change and upheaval in our lives. I get a lot of comfort from observing everyday moments and the shifts in nature that occur season to season. The writing for Goldenrod is largely inspired by the shoulder season “as the summer fades into fall,” and looks for the lessons, both cruel and kind, that are there for the learning if we take a moment to pause and consider them. 

Who plays on the album, how do you know them, and what did they each bring to the sound you created here?

Teni Rane: I’ve been fortunate to work with some really stellar players on this project! Dave Eggar appears on cello and piano, Phil Faconti on a slew of different guitars and guitar parts. I met them both in Bristol at Rhythm and Roots Reunion through a good friend of mine a few years ago and was completely absorbed by their performances at the festival. A couple of months after, I reached out to get to know them better.

From there, as plans for Goldenrod started to take root, I was very intentional about building those relationships and conveying my vision for it to them. I was so excited that they connected with the material! Not only do they bring their top notch instrumental performances to the record, they both also are incredible listeners – to the lyrics themselves and also to the context and emotional feeling of the story behind the song. 

Roger Gustaffson also appears on the album on bass and steel guitars – we worked together on my previous project that included the holiday singles and “Meet Me in Stockholm.” We originally met while I was working on the island of Gotland in Sweden for a summer and I was so glad that he was able to remotely work with us on 4 of the tracks for this album!

Another bassist on the project is my partner, Jonathan Shumaker. He’s been playing with me for years now and brings some incredible rhythm to the songs. We met in engineering college and have been playing together since. One thing I love about getting to play with and record with him (when possible) is that he has a very developed understanding of my rhythm as a guitar player and a person. He always seems to balance the rhythm element of the bass with a more melodic element that compliments my playing style so well. 

There were so many other people who contributed to this album in other ways besides the incredible musicians mentioned. It would be a long read to list them all, but I must give a nod to my co-producer, recording and mix/master engineer Mike Stephenson. He has made Classic Recording Studio a very wonderful place to create an album. He is knowledgeable and creative and kept us all moving forward smoothly from part to part. It was a great experience getting to work alongside him. 

Can you describe your overall sound in a few key phrases?

Teni Rane: I would say that my music is very lyrically led with smooth and emotive vocals. Instrumentally, everything has a specific place and role to play in the story, but the sound is fluid, not rigid. 

How important was the music of your youth and your experience growing up in Chattanooga to the music you make today?

Teni Rane: We are all summaries of everywhere we’ve been, everything we’ve heard, and all the life that we have experienced. For me, the music I listened to on CDs in the car going from place to place has definitely informed the foundational structure of my songs and the sounds and instrumentation that I gravitate towards today.

Chattanooga has a beautiful and accessible outdoors environment – time hiking through the landscapes and that enjoyment carrying into adulthood absolutely shaped the writing on Goldenrod. Much of the imagery on the album is heavily influenced by the Appalachian landscapes of East Tennessee – where I’ve spent a good bit of time both as a child and as an adult! In the live music space, I grew up around mainly acoustic-driven performances.

There is an awesome vulnerability in simple arrangements and instrumentation that I am intent on maintaining in my writing, arranging, and performances as well. My parents always made sure we had access to musical performances and musician friends. It is lovely to be connected to those things from an early age.

And on a broader scale, what artists have greatly influenced who you are and how you make music?

Teni Rane: Every time I hear any type of music, I feel that it is shaping my taste and my musical style. Whether it is something that resonates and I take in or it is something that is not pleasant that I collect only as a data point. That can be the style and sound of the music, or the way they have chosen to run their career and life. Honestly, that later bit influences me more than what their music sounds like.

My foundation was laid on acoustic guitar and singer-songwriter-style stories. That will always be there and I’ll always have the sounds in my ears of every great writer that I grew up listening to, from Carole King and Norah Jones, to Beth Woods and Cosy Sheridan. It has been a great joy to make connections within the folk world and begin to admire and appreciate the careers and persistence of artists like Amy Speace and Amber Rubarth.

I am amazed again and again by the creativity of my close friends in music and their tenacity to continue carving out a life that works for them in the rush of all the commentary on what it means to be a successful artist. Those are the folks who have and continue to influence who I am as a person, and who I am as a person dictates much about how I approach making music now and moving forward. 

Last time we spoke, you had been touring the songs from the “Meet Me In Stockholm” session. What did you learn from that tour, and what new experiences did you face?

Teni Rane: In the music industry I am always learning something new! One of the biggest takeaways from previous mini-tours is getting processes and systems in place to keep everything organized. It’s a lot of information and details to keep in line with booking, tour managing, and performing.

There are always good chances to reflect on things that worked well and things that weren’t so great. The more I play live, the more I am honing in on what is important to me about the shows I am choosing to pursue and the ones that I am not willing to take. I’m continuing to learn that specificity is incredibly important to me – whether that is in lyric choice, recording format, or live venues. If there isn’t a clear, resonating reason to participate in something, then I’m giving myself full permission to walk away.  

Where are you looking forward to touring next with this new album? Are there any plans to play outside the US in the near future?

Teni Rane: I am really looking forward to playing regionally from Chattanooga, through Knoxville and up to the Tri-Cities area in TN and then over into North Carolina as usual. New spots on the upcoming tour will be over into Arkansas and up into Kentucky! I’m so excited to share the album in some new venues and meet folks in new towns. I’ll even be shooting off towards California in November!

Right now, there are no international dates on the calendar, but I do have eyes on some opportunities I would like to pursue in the UK. I’d love to get myself back over to Sweden someday as well, and recently, I had some exciting musical connections in Bermuda. There are always dreams taking shape and plans being laid! It takes time and patience to bring them into reality.

Thank you, as always, for taking the time to talk to me about the new album, touring and the people and processes involved in the making of Goldenrod.

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8/07 – Chattanooga, TN – WUTC, Richard Winham Show (11 am)
8/07 – Chattanooga, TN – Yellow Racket Records (LP Release) [6 pm]
8/09 – Asheville, NC – Arbor Evenings @ The Arboretum
8/10 – Horse Shoe, NC – House Concert
8/16 – Bristol TN/VA – Radio Bristol – Appalachian Travels
8/17 – Norton, VA – High Knob Fest (performing w/ Dave Eggar & Bristol Lightning)
8/20 – Emory, VA – WEHC 90.7 (Appalachian Artists Live)
9/19 – Chattanooga, TN – House Concert*
9/20 – Red Bank, TN – Food Truck Fridays*
9/21 – Chattanooga, TN – Crabtree Farms Fall Festival*
9/21 – Chattanooga, TN – Gate 11*
9/22 – Chattanooga, TN – Creative Discovery Museum – Songwriter’s Residency
9/27 – Kingsport, TN – House Concert 
9/28 – Knoxville, TN – WDVX Blue Plate Special (12 pm)
9/29 – Chattanooga, TN – Creative Discovery Museum – Songwriter’s Residency
10/2 – Fayetteville, AR – U of A Honors College House Concert*
10/4 – Neosho, MO – House Concert*
10/5 – Joplin, MO – North Heights Porch Fest*
10/12 – Chattanooga, TN – Highland Park Porch Fest
10/23 – Stanton, KY – The Hive at High Rock 
10/24 – Newport, KY – Falcon Theatre – Poet & Song Series

*Trio show