LYDIA LOVELESS’ latest release, Real, is out now on Bloodshot Records, and there’s a lot to love for fans of her signature Tammy Wynette-meets-Replacements style. But there are also subtle shifts on the record toward a cleaner, poppier sound for the Ohioan songwriter—Loveless says this move helped her grow and challenge herself—but don’t go into Real expecting Taylor Swift.
“I accidentally used the word ‘slick’ in an interview, which I regret,” Loveless tells me over the phone, adding, “I love pop music. It’s my happy place. [Pop] can be a lot of things. It can be Motown, oldies, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, or Katy Perry. I really just like great songs with good arrangements and amazing melodies.”
Loveless points toward several instances on Real where, along with her longtime producer Joe Viers, she pushed herself out of her comfort zone. The risk pays off: There’s the ’70s AM, Fleetwood Mac-style groove that underpins “Heaven” (with Loveless doing a passable Midwestern Stevie Nicks) and the “crazy harmonies” that give the song “Longer” a Beach Boys sheen.