NYC artist Ava Lyons has a great new song called “New Hampshire” that musically captures the start-and-stop emotions of a new romantic relationship. With its nimble bass part and percussive guitar strumming, the song reminds me a bit of Paul Simon’s “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard”.
Explaining the song’s origin, Lyons says: “I was a waitress working at the Sea Port in Boston (where I’m from). A lot of people would come to the restaurant from all over. One day I was serving this family from New Hampshire. I ended up meeting this guy that would soon visit me in Boston and New York. He was always going to where my home was, but of course it didn’t last long enough for me to come to his. ‘New Hampshire’ is an upbeat expression of thinking ahead of yourself, even if the situation is small and new. The beginning of the song leans toward the excited-ness of the situation and as the song goes on, we see the “not so-perfect” relationship unfold. However, there’s also fun in the not-so-perfect.
“Although ‘New Hampshire’ is way more upbeat than a lot of my sadder, more emotional songs, I wrote this after a lot of really upsetting emotions. I felt like I couldn’t put the words or melodies together to make something sad about this person because I still had admiration for what the situation was. The song is almost like screaming through a smile because sometimes the best way to feel better is to express and let go.”
Lyons’ previous single “Groceries” is the exact opposite of “New Hampshire”. It’s not about a romance, and the music creates a majestic mood. Ava’s ability to shift from stately to spontaneous puts her in the vanguard of today’s young talents.
Listen to “New Hampshire” below, or find it on the streaming services.
Follow Ava Lyons on Instagram.
