Today Laura Veirs shares The Panther, a special digital release containing two versions of same song. In recent years Veirs has been writing different versions of songs as part of her creative process, in an attempt to find the right musical home for lyrics that resonate with her. This new release is two such versions of a song Veirs wrote called “The Panther” named after a poem by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Both the Electric guitar version and Ukelele version are available now!

Originally recorded by herself in late 2016, Veirs explains: “I am sharing these songs now because I like them and think listeners might find them interesting, especially because they are such radically different musical treatments of essentially the same lyrics. I also want to share them now because this song adapts words from one of my favourite poems. Since many of us around the world are still in quarantine, I think listeners will be able to relate to the plight of Rilke’s panther. There are times in life when we find ourselves trapped, either by external circumstances or by self-limitation, or both. Hopefully in those times we can realize that our state of confinement will change and pass, like all things, eventually.” 

Acclaim for My Echo:

“The author of some of the most insightful songs in the modern country-folk canon. ‘Another Space and Time’, which uses stings and a bossa nova beat in its pondering of other realities, and ‘End Times’, with its lilting, Sunday-school piano, are just two opportunities to swoon.” Uncut – 9/10

“It’s gorgeous… The 10 songs drift between intimacy and rich instrumentation. Among the many highlights are the lovely I Sing To The Tall Man and Freedom Feeling, where Veirs’ intimate voice and guitar morph into something so lush and bright it feels like somebody switched the sky on.” MOJO – 4 stars ****

“Poignant, cathartic, consistently brilliant… Veirs is one of the greatest American songwriters.” The New Stateman

“Laura Veirs sings with serene grace and clarity. Her voice is pure and clear. It soothes and beguiles.” Financial Times – 4 stars ****

“As breakup albums go, it is surprisingly positive… ‘Turquoise Walls’ is a shiny marvel while ‘Freedom Feeling’ encapsulates hope for a better future.” Sunday Times

“Vividly imagined, richly exploratory songcraft… Bright, beautiful and brimming with resilient wisdom.” Record Collector – 4 stars ****

“There’s vulnerability and candour in the lyrics, and whether tackling infidelity (Turquoise Walls) or celebrating the healing power of nature (Memaloose Island), the rich instrumentation and transporting voice deliver an unexpected but unmistakeable feeling of release.” The Mirror – 4 stars ****

Portland, OR-based singer-songwriter Laura Veirs has forged a career singing personal songs of romantic intoxication, everyday vignettes, and social commentary that are often heavy on introspection and intense character scrutiny. She is fascinated with the intersection of poetry and science and explores this in her lyrics. Her most recent album is My Echo from which she’s shared videos for the tracks ‘Burn Too Bright’, ‘Turquoise Walls’ and ‘Freedom Feeling’.