This week’s Frothy Monkey local artist of the week is Maia Sharp!
Sharp got her start out on the West Coast in her home state of California. She has been local to Music City for four years now. Sharp is known for being a songwriter for huge artists like Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, The Chicks and more.
Her songwriting talent is clear to see in her own music. “Old Dreams” tells the story of someone who is working through the complications that come when you realize what you used to care about isn’t fulfilling or quite right for you anymore. Sharp juxtaposes beautiful metaphors with blunt honesty to convey this experience (Exhibit A: “I built that city when the ground was still shifting / It’s time to say goodbye to something I ain’t missing”).
It’s a dreamy epiphany that what you had before isn’t serving you anymore. Melancholy, but freeing rather than sad. Mourning having to shed your old skin, but knowing it’s ultimately for the better. The instrumentation on this track really allows this mood to breathe. With minimal, soft percussion, listeners can get truly lost in this song.
If you want to see Maia Sharp live, you’re in luck—you can catch her playing Nashville Sunday Night this coming Sunday with Shelly Fairchild. As always, the show will be at 3rd and Lindsley and broadcasted live on the radio by Lightning 100. You can hear “Old Dreams” by local artist of the week Maia Sharp playing all week on Lightning 100! Sharp’s new album Reckless Thoughts, featuring 10 songs—including “Old Dreams”—will be out this Friday.