In various surveys, one of the most forgotten states is Wyoming. For Portuguese musician Nana Lourdes, she sees the endless expanse of Wyoming's nature as a blank canvas for hopes, dreams, frustrations and satire.
It's this bright-eyed fascination that Lourdes dove headfirst into, having never visited the U.S. prior to writing the album. Her infatuation with the state began with an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, while other things such as a Fleetwood Mac documentary focused her eye on other mystical parts of the country.
Below, dive into the whimsical and fantastical world of Wyoming by Nana Lourdes, which she happily broke down track-by-track for PAPER.
"Sunrise Blue"
A while ago, I was making a short for school and we were filming at dawn. I found it crazy how the light at the beginning of a new day is so blue and cold, and I can only trust that it’ll turn into warmth because historically it always has, but I’m an anxious person so who knows?
I wanted to make something that was classic sounding, which proved to be a challenge because my music theory is extremely poor... but I liked the idea of starting this record with a sort of Trojan horse that would be sonically misleading.
"Sausalito"
This is one of the first songs I made for Wyoming. I wanted to make something that you can kind of dance to, that kind of just drives your body. Something where the kick and the bass sound amazing through the wall.
I was watching a Fleetwood Mac documentary and I learned they made Rumours at a studio in Sausalito. I thought it was the coolest name ever. It had a ring to it and a song in it.
It would probably be easier to fly from California to Wyoming but driving just sounds more romantic. A road trip has to start somewhere, and in this universe, The Record Plant is still operating and I’m in there writing what I don’t know will end up being this record. I need a break and want to take it with who "Wyoming" is about. Now I’m just waiting for them to pick me up from Sausalito.
"Buckley Horse Race Machine 1937"
My dad watches a lot of pawn shop shows, and in one episode they were selling a gambling machine made in 1937. 37 is one of my favourite numbers and anything with the word "machine" in it sounds hella cool.
This song is basically about the moment something is rekindled and you’re instantly reminded of why it never worked the previous time(s). But I’m a proud person so I’ll go with it all the way to the end, even if I know this is going to blow up in my face.
"Horse Girl"
This is probably the campiest song out of all the songs on the record. Even sonically, it’s not something that I usually go for — the 808s and fast hi-hats, outdated, overused – but I was committed and leaned fully into it.
I really wanted to write something that sounded like self-pity and superficial introspection; something that represents the fact that, yes, this person most likely sucks, but at the end of the day it’s not like I’m better. If I keep coming back to them, we might have something ugly in common.
"Cowgirl Makes Me Cry"
I really wanted to write something clever like Kacey Musgraves and Dolly Parton and so many country greats. Basically, it’s about how I linger when I shouldn’t. I'm fully aware trying to fix people is a really bad trait, so the fact that I keep doing it makes it even worse.
"Lady Luck"
I fully leaned into country here. Guitar is my main (and only if we’re being honest) instrument. I had never recorded acoustic guitar prior to this because the studio I work in had the worst acoustics in the world at the time. I could hear the room and it really really bothered me, but I guess I ended up thinking "fuck it" and did my best to ignore it. Kinda came back to bite me when I was mixing the song, but it is what it is. This is definitely a songwriting-focused song anyway. I was not trying to show off my production skills.
Up until now, we’ve always had our ups and (hell pit) downs, but somehow with a little bit of luck we always end up finding our way back to each other and getting over any adversity — but maybe not this time?
"Peaches"
I kept watching one particular video of somebody driving in Wyoming and it was a pretty normal drive until it suddenly turned into an endless straight road with the Grand Tetons and giant green fields in the background. This song (particularly the outro) is my homage to that moment.
I often struggle with lyrics but this one was so easy to write, which is strange because there are so many words in it. To me, this song sounds like an embellishment of the past. It’s basically reminiscing about all the good moments in the beginning and when it started turning sour. It’s also an ode to poor attempts at communication and lack of accountability.
I call them "Peaches" because they have a really nice behind.
"Fuck-Up Person"
My comfort zone is "fuck you" songs, I guess I’m a really bitter person. Wouldn’t be a Nana Lourdes record without one. By now I have nothing but contempt for them, and I just had the need to write something cheeky about it.
I’ll admit I haven’t really gone through this in my life, and it’s probably a fear of mine — I would imagine them getting together with someone I’ve always been jealous of would be a giant slap in the face. Fuck so-and-so.
"Thinking About You"
On the surface, it’s a pretty simple song about extreme attraction, but within the context of the record, it’s a song about something that never really fizzles out but ends and begins with a bang.
Photo courtesy of Emanuel de Oliveira