Anna St. Louis is a Los Angeles-based musician who is originally from Kansas City. Last year, she released First Songs, a tape of some of the first songs that she wrote upon moving to LA after graduating from school in Philadelphia. It was put out on Kevin Morby’s Woodsist imprint Mare Records, and that’s also where her proper debut full-length will be released later this year. It’s called If Only There Was A River, and it was produced by Morby and King Tuff’s Kyle Thomas.

Lead single “Understand,” which also features Morby on backing vocals, is a wandering folk song that hits on a classic vein. The way the words stick to St. Louis’ tongue drives the track: “Understand me/ Do you understand?,” goes the centerline, building with intensity each time its repeated. That reaching across the aisle for connection carries over to the Christopher Good-directed video, which places St. Louis in a variety of lonely-looking vignettes.

Watch and listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Water”
02 “Understand”
03 “The Bells”
04 “Paradise”
05 “Daisy”
06 “Desert”
07 “Hello”
08 “Freedom”
09 “Mean Love”
10 “Wind”
11 “If Only There Was A River”

TOUR DATES:
09/05 Athens, GA @ Georgia Theater *
09/08 Washington, DC @ Miracle Theater *
09/09 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House *
09/10 New York City, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge *
09/12 Pittsburgh, PA @ The Warhol *
09/13 Nelsonville, OH @ Stuart’s Opera House *
09/14 Cleveland, OH @ Survival Kit Gallery *
09/15 Toronto, ON @ Bloor Street United Church *
09/16 Grand Rapids, MI @ Wealthy Theater *
09/18 Mineral Points, WI @ Mineral Points Opera House *
09/20 Lincoln, NE @ Lincoln Calling *
09/21 Lawrence, KS @ The White Schoolhouse *
09/29 Los Angeles, CA @ Permanent Records – Highland Park #
* w/ Waxahatchee & Night Shop
# w/ Night Shop

If Only There Was A River is out 10/12 via Woodsist / Mare. Pre-order it here.