Lady Dan is the moniker of Austin-based songwriter Tyler Dozier, who grew up in religious surroundings in her home of Dothan, Alabama before moving to Birmingham in her early 20s for ministry school. It was a path on which she did not remain, soon questioning her belief and diverting to a new life. That past still remains a big part of her persona though, as evidenced by the title of Lady Dan’s debut album, I Am The Prophet, which arrives on April 23 via Earth Libraries.
Today she shares the album’s title track, saying: “”I Am the Prophet” was born of the resentment that comes with the modern dating era: a month getting to know someone, letting them know you, and the other party backing out once things are meant to progress. So you stay on this constant loop, like a rodent running on a wheel, doomed to repeat the cycle until you’re so tired you just give up completely. Then, throw some sacrilege in for a little flavor.”
Beginning with an atmospheric guitar and a deep beat, Lady Dan sets a scene of shrouded isolation, which is amplified by her dissatisfied vocal as she snarls “thanks for all your patience, you’ve been leaving me in the dark / you weren’t busy, you were sleeping on my heart.” Evidently down in the dumps, Lady Dan doesn’t let her low mood get the better of her but instead uses it as fuel for the fire, and “I Am The Prophet” rises into a regal chorus with fuzzed guitars as she announces “I am the prophet turning water into wine.” She continues a path of reflection on their dates, getting audibly more pissed off as she picks through the memories, which makes the song all the more electrifying. “I Am The Prophet” builds to an elegiac finale with expansive synths and dramatic strings, which gives the song a cinematic feel as we hear Lady Dan rise like a phoenix from the embers of her crushed hopes – bruised, but ready to go again.
Below you can watch the video for “I Am The Prophet”, which was created with Joeli Middlebrooks of Kara Marie Collective, or you can listen to the song on streaming platforms.
Lady Dan’s debut album I Am The Prophet arrives on April 23 via Earth Libraries. You can find Lady Dan on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
