corinne sharlet, “hail mary”
Portland-based musician Corinne Sharlet comes at us today with the release of her new track “Hail Mary”. Haunting and absolutely magnetic, the song a beautiful testament to Sharlet’s abilities as a singer/songwriter. Her alluring vocals are set over beautiful, intricate guitar parts that continually pique your interest throughout the track, as you focus on the intimacy of it all. The ambiance the song creates alone is impeccable, but when you find out the inspiration behind the track, it’s hard to keep your jaw off the ground. Expands Sharlet:
‘Hail Mary’ wouldn’t exist without the Laurelthirst open mic here in Portland and for that reason the Laurelthirst has become a very special place to me. I wrote the song a couple of years ago when I had just started attending the open mic. Every week, they post a new theme to write a song about. One week the theme was ‘Hail Mary’ and so the song came to be. I love that the Laurelthirst open mic provides the weekly themes because I often find that a random word or two can inspire a song without needing to have a preconceived idea for it. Writing songs feels most natural to me that way. When I write I don’t usually have an idea of something I want to write about, I start by just playing and singing and then the words come.
The song is still mysterious to me. ‘Hail Mary’ seemed to come from a different world — a different time and place. As I started writing, I became very emotional. I practically sobbed through the whole song. One of the ideas that stirs me in the song is the need humans have to turn to things that are bigger than ourselves. I was not raised with formal religion and I do not currently participate in formal religion, but I am fascinated by religious and mythological symbolism and how it has infiltrated my psyche. I don’t want to say too much more about what the song is about because many people have interpreted the song in different ways and I love that.
Check out the beauty of “Hail Mary” below, then let us know what you think on Facebook!
Upcoming Shows
- September 26th // Salem, OR // The Space
- September 29th // Bend, OR // Bend Roots Festival
- October 5th // Bend, OR // house show
Keep up with Corinne Sharlet here.