I've been a fan of Thea Gilmore since I first heard the track Heart String Blues on a magazine compilation back in 2002. I subsequently bought the album it came from, Songs From The Gutter, along with its three predecessors, and have snapped up every record she's released since. I've seen her live a couple of times, and even (back when I had more money) supported her pre-patreon online fan-funding platform, from which I received some cool exclusives, including a page of handwritten lyrics... which are kicking around here somewhere.
So I was shocked to learn that later this year, Thea will release her final album, The Emancipation of Eva Grey, followed by her first post-Thea Gilmore record, Afterlight.
Here are the facts as I understand them...
When she was 16, Thea was discovered by a record producer. They eventually married and had two children. The couple separated in 2019 and finally divorced earlier this year.
And now, Thea Gilmore is no more. Now she is Afterlight. To quote from her website...
"After the stop comes the start. After the dark; the light. This is not a drill. Afterlight is a real account of one woman’s journey from impressionable 16-year-old bound into a toxic working and romantic relationship with a man 23 years her senior, to a brand new artist and free woman finding her own beginning."
The spoken word opening track is the only music we've had from the debut Afterlight album this far, but it's a powerful and brutally affecting piece of songwriting, heralding what must surely be one of the most important albums of the year.
As a long time fan, I'm horrified by all this... but also happy that Thea / Afterlight has been afforded this new beginning. I will continue to follow her career wherever it takes her... hopefully to much happier times.
Thought provoking song.
ReplyDeleteA remarkable piece, almost too harrowing to fully take onboard. If this really is autobiographical, I hope she's in a much better place now.
ReplyDeletePowerful stuff and shocked to read your words above about Thea's personal life, it just goes to show we rarely know what goes on and it's easy to just assume someone is fine, especially when they're successful in their field.
ReplyDeleteSo glad she's been able to break free and wish her all the best in her new Afterlight incarnation.
Shocking. I don’t have the words. Here’s to a new start for Afterlight.
ReplyDeleteI don't think one can call this a song.
ReplyDeleteIt's performance poetry and yes, is powerful. But if this isn't what happened I hope she is aware of how damaging this is to her ex husband. And by rote, their children