Schaefer Llana
Growing up in Batesville, Mississippi, a town of about 7,500 outside of Oxford, Schaefer Llana had to really search to discover the music that she now cites as influences. Sharon Van Etten, Judee Sill, and Karen Dalton weren’t playing on local radio, though early interactions with Shania Twain and Britney Spears certainly seep their way into her radiant style of contemplative and confessional indie rock. As such, her style is an amalgamation of these influences–an almost preternatural ability to conjure memorable hooks out of thin air; a lyrical style that veers from narrative driven to poetic with the flip of a switch; and patience in her songwriting that reveals someone relentlessly dedicated to teasing out the subtle details that can make a song great.
Songwriting has always been in Llana’s blood. As a small town kid in Mississippi, she got her first crack at singing in the church, and began composing her first songs at the age of nine or so by her estimate. Perhaps that’s why she sounds so in control and confident on her new batch of singles, led by “It’s Gonna Take Some Time.” Roots rock guitar twang and shimmering organs crest like a wave around Schaefer’s charming Southern lilt, and the honesty in her vocals are disarming: “I can’t wait to see you, you’re all that’s on my mind/ I’ll be home as soon as I can/ But it’s gonna take some time.”
The composition itself is a marvel, with the swell of instruments surging around and besides Llana’s powerful voice but never overtaking it. If the singer-songwriter has moved away from the church as a young adult, she has certainly retained a sense of spirituality and awe regarding the mysteries of life and love that inform her work.
As Schaefer’s boundaries expanded in college and she discovered different iterations of music she took inspiration from, she saw her scene expand, too. Going to college in the Mississippi Delta, Llana was exposed to a supportive and burgeoning scene that supported bands from all over the state in addition to groups and acts that would travel through the area on their way from Memphis to cities like New Orleans.
“All the bands from the state came to a house show venue called 606, it was iconic. We would also get bands from out of state. You could pretty much bet that every weekend there would be at least one show at 606,” says Llana. It was an education for her, and playing at the venue to test out new songs was a crucial part of her growth as an artist. After an internship at a studio in Mississippi, Llana began working for the studio. That gig earned her a spot touring with Mississippi legend Jimbo Mathus, a job she still has as a guitar player and singer. Working with the Taylor resident has been one of the great joys of her life, and practical experience for her own burgeoning career.
Playing with Mathus has taught Llana that when music comes naturally, the intricacies and details fall away and all that’s left is the pure emotion, which can be heard on singles like the gorgeous “Start of Spring.” “Jimbo taught me that music is really just about communicating the feeling and you don't have to be so precise and calculated within that,” she explains. “I call him Uncle Jimbo, because he's been the greatest mentor to me not just for songwriting and tour life but how to be a bandleader and explain your vision as a songwriter.” Schaefer Llana is using these singles as an introduction of sorts to her fully-formed sound, a hello from a Hattiesburg staple ready to unveil a staggering collection of songs. Above all, she wants Mississippi to be recognized as the supportive hub it’s been for her. “I just want to show how great of a place Mississippi can be for musicians,” she explains. “The whole state is up to really cool things and I’m proud to call it home.”
