A.O. Gerber ‘In the Morning’

Los Angeles-based indie artist A.O. Gerber shares the first taste from her forthcoming debut album Another Place to Need which is due May 22 via Hand in Hive. Through the guise of patience, “In the Morning” peels somberly with a scared waltz. Only by the early light of a guitar, Gerber’s vocals, and a drum machine, the artist self-medicates before healing through distorted bursts.

The artist finds a way to pass the time, ironically battling this concept on the track. Gerber’s restricted, yet experienced tone scratches the lo-fi production from its initial haunt. She utilizes the earthy residue from her vocals for an ethereal, and quite beautiful vocal styling, to a more aggressive proclamation. Crossing into the shadows of garage rock, the track manipulates its slow build for a communal punch of sounds, while lyrically capturing movement.

“Travel has always been a huge healer for me,” says Gerber. “I wrote ‘In the Morning’ in my car while driving up the Oregon coast on my first solo tour. A really traumatic relationship I was in ended days before leaving and I felt awful, but also really grateful for the excuse to leave the city.”

“The first few lines and melody of the song popped into my head while I was driving to Lincoln City, Oregon, feeling the disparity between my emotional state and the intense calm of the surrounding natural beauty. I stayed at a KOA campground in Lincoln City that night; I sat in my parked car with my unplugged electric guitar and wrote the rest of the song. It’s basically about that experience – feeling so overcome by sadness but also empowered to start anew, to find your way back to yourself.”

Compared to her last single “Strangers,” Gerber’s latest offering highlights a more assertive and textured production that clings to her vocals. There’s enough depth to appreciate her range without being washed out with too much haze. It is yet another aspect of the artist that readily shines her evolution, eagerly waiting for Another Place to Need.