In the midst of a cluttered musical landscape, New York City-based singer-songwriter Lana Nauphal’s authentic, crystalline voice and insightful lyricism emerge like a breath of fresh air. On May 24th, she released her debut LP, Wildland, produced by Tim Bidwell (Lucy Rose, Kate Walsh).

Born into a complicated yet rich tapestry of Lebanese, American, British, and French heritage, the seeds of Nauphal’s musical journey were planted when, at the tender age of 13, she became enamored with the timeless sounds of 60s and 70s folk. As a young adult making her way through college, music was a passion, but not a career choice. Then, she fell in love.

"I met a truth-teller in the form of a boy,” she recalls. “He picked up on what was circling, unrelenting, in my periphery, and confronted me with it: my undeniable call to music. I fell in with him, and his raucous band of friends, and we were ridiculously happy - sleepless nights, making music, painting on the walls,” she adds. “They brought to life a wildness in me.” 

When the relationship unraveled, Nauphal was left alone with the pieces: pieces of a life she now knew she needed to live, music she knew she needed to make. “This album, Wildland, was my glue,” she says.

Each track on Wildland offers reminiscence, resolve, and renewal - her tender vocals awash in raw vulnerability. From profound introspection to unyielding resilience, from brokenness to the glimmer of hope, the graceful melodies of Lana Nauphal’s ever-relatable Wildland offer catharsis to wounded hearts and stir the soul.

by Susan Hamilton