Stephanie Seymour – Grand Isle (2026)
Hailing from the USA – New York, I think – Stephanie Seymour began her musical adventure in the late 1980s as drummer of all-female alternative rock band, The Aquanettas. Skip ahead a few years to 1995, and The Aquanettas have dissolved, but Seymour continues as part of Adam Roth’s pop group, Psychic Penguin. By 1997, Psychic Penguin was waning, and she jumped into the realm of lead vocalists with her own band, Birdy. Now, skip ahead about 30 years, and Seymour crosses our virtual desk as a solo artist.
The first collective of songs since her 2019 debut album, There Are Birds – an album combining her passion for ornithology and music – Grand Isle is a six-track EP about, well, life. From tales of heritage in ‘Harvest Time’, to an obsession with Lisa Marie Presley in ‘Scour Your Heart’, and a couple of cover songs in between, Grand Isle wanders through fields of folk-rock and country.
Opening with ‘Harvest Time’, Seymour heads back to “the real story of her great-great-grandfather John Carson, coming down from Canada and settling in Grand Isle, Maine.” Using a harmonic blend of Seymour’s percussion, Bob Perry’s guitars, and Ira Elliot’s steady drums, the track is, for me, a great fit for the television series, Wagon Train. It’s a peek into one of the settlers’ journals – a story about the journey, settling in a new world, building a life, and embracing your family.
Grand Isle is an EP celebrating life in totality, creeping into not only grand-grand-grandfather’s adventure, but the mind of Seymour herself. A bit of a Lisa Marie Presley nut, the final song, ‘Scour Your Heart’ takes you to a warm living room as Seymour tells us a tale with folk-rock instruments flowing behind. Perry’s back on the guitars with Seymour with her percussion, Jeremy Chatzky plays a bold bass, with Ray Nissen’s synths shimmering, and Frank Vilardi’s drums keeping time.
‘Scour Your Heart’ is a rather sad expression of Presley’s life, but this is not the only original track that has “no happy ending”. Seymour’s original track, ‘One Trick Away’, focuses on the ups and downs, ebbs and flows, light and dark of life. She shares that many people have told me they find it uplifting, to me, it’s a bit of a darker song…” Joined by Perry on guitars, Paul Moschella on drums, Seymour on the underlying percussion, Jeremy Chatzky on double bass and Claudia Chopek on violin, ‘One Trick Away’ is a toe-tapping, shoulder-swaying, almost hand-clapping folk-inspired tune. The blast of strings enhances the folk flair, with twangs and square dancing fascination.
The covers – Chris Harford’s ‘You Brains’, Ron Sexsmith’s ‘Words We Never Use’ and Daniel Lanois’ ‘The Message’ – continue to wander across the fields of folk-rock and Americana, but Seymour’s obscure, eclectic, and perfect for folk music drawl gives each song contemporary edginess.
So, my overall opinion of Seymour Seymour? With Grand Isle – produced by her husband, Bob Perry – she showcases sophistication, maturity and a vulnerable innocence that can win hearts. Highly recommended!
Find out more about Stephanie Seymour on her official website, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify.
