Denitia – “Highways”

I haven’t kept up that closely with the Houston-born, Hudson Valley-based singer-songwriter Denitia in recent years, but it seems like she’s undergone another metamorphosis. Denitia has always been an eclectic creator, shifting sounds between releases. Her 2017 EP Ceilings presented dreamy, majestic indie rock, while 2018’s Be There EP featured left-of-center pop and R&B. Scanning through her work since then reveals a range of rewarding sounds within that same zone, but a new single out today feels like something completely new for her.

Denitia’s latest song “Highways” is an alt-country ramble — deeply tuneful, light on its feet, and shot through with melancholy. It was co-produced by Brad Allen Williams, a guitarist for artists such as Brittany Howard and Bilal. “I’ve wandered off from here to Houston, looking for a place that I can call my own,” she sings. “The city fit right for a while, like a glove lost in the melted snow.” Pedal steel and brushed drums carry the music along, creating a soft momentum to match lyrics about roaming the lonesome road.

A statement from Denitia:

Highways” is a song about looking forward but taking the past along with you. I’ve had many friends and loved ones in my life and as time passes and I move from place to place, phase to phase, I hope to always take those connections with me wherever I go. I want to take home with me everywhere I go.

Listen below.