Los Angeles musician Lia Braswell follows her debut solo album, Rising, with If Not for the Chaos, a spectral electronic pop song shaped by emotional openness and the fleeting connections formed while touring. Written and recorded with Keir Schmidt during the release of the album, the single feels closely connected to that record while also carrying Braswell’s solo work forward.
Layered electronics surround soft vocals, while the force that made Braswell such a sought-after drummer remains unmistakable. The percussion is as expected, thunderous but controlled, providing a steady physical foundation beneath the song’s vulnerability. According to Braswell: "'If Not for the Chaos' is a continuation of blending emotion with intent. It’s another song that brings my heart to the forefront by evoking the spontaneity of connection while touring. It was written and recorded with Keir Schmidt during the process of releasing Rising which is why it feels aligned with the process of moving forward in sharing my solo music amidst all of the other endeavors I’ve got going on."
Braswell’s history behind the kit stretches from the Southern California DIY spaces of her teenage years to international tours and collaborations with Sextile, TR/ST, A Place to Bury Strangers and She Wants Revenge. Her solo music reveals another side of that experience, transforming the raw feeling once expressed primarily through percussion into something quieter, more atmospheric and introspective.
“If I were to write a book on my trajectory in life, there would be many instances that could have led me down a dark path,” she says. “I certainly found myself in unmanageable situations and put myself in harm’s way. But I found a way out.”
Released through Waxwork Records, Rising emerged from a period of sobriety, personal reckoning and renewed trust in intuition. If Not for the Chaos extends its healing glow, finding delicacy within upheaval and forward movement within the uncertainty that continues to surround it.
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Lia Braswell
Wax Work Records
Photo by James Duran-
