BABE OF MINE. Courtney Hartman's newest release, "Bright Eye," was released on Aug. 27 on Bandcamp and streaming platforms. Though, Chippewa Valley listeners — myself included — have been humming along to the sun-soaked tune since it was debuted live in past shows in the area. (Photo by Evelyn Nelson)

"Bright Eye" by Courtney Hartman (feat. The Nunnery)

Courtney Hartman's latest single, “Bright Eye,” quickly became a tune that fans — myself included — have quietly hummed along to after hearing it live during intimate shows throughout the summer season, leading up to its official release on Aug. 27.

“Bright Eye,” was recorded, mixed, and co-produced alongside Brian Joseph at Hive in the Chippewa Valley. Other regional collaborators include Shane Leonard's (engineering), Andy Whilden (mastering), and ethereal vocals by Eau Claire's The Nunnery.

With depictions of sun on the leaves and meandering along a creekside on a summer's evening — canopies singing and treetops swaying along — it feels hard not to join in the chorus of “Bright Eye.” Sarah Elstran, the lyricist and vocalist behind The Nunnery, builds a harmony across each verse as the song progresses.

As mothers, both Sarah and Courtney embody the intersection of a creative career and the fulfillment found in family life, which feels present throughout the new single.

“‘Bright Eye’ was an early nickname for our daughter,” Courtney shared with listeners on Bandcamp. “Her eyes shined, and as she began to see the world and our home and me, it changed how I saw those things too.”

A music video for “Bright Eye,” released on Sept. 17, depicts these ebbs and flows — recording in the studio, days spent laughing with family, and the joys when the two combine — while also giving a viewers a taste of the Chippewa Valley's warmer months. This music video was filmed by Kyle Lehman and edited by Erik Elstran, two Chippewa Valley creatives a part of Courtney's “chosen family.”

Hartman's upcoming album, With You — to be released on Nov. 14 — is a heartfelt love letter to her daughter. Much like this debut track for her next project, the record will continue to narrate experiences of motherhood, tied with the profound joy and emotions that accompany this transformative period in life.

As you listen, we hope you'll hum along to this new single's serene lyrics and savor the end of summer. “You make the highs feel higher, you make the days go lighter.”

CAN YOU TANGLE? Joe Westerlund, pictured above, invites new and longtime listeners to a new improvisational set of compositions in their latest solo project, Curiosities from the Shift. Two newly released singles within the record, "Tem" and "Can Tangle" feature collaborations that connect him back to his roots in the Chippewa Valley. (Photo by Graham Tolbert)

"Tem" and "Can Tangle" by Joe Westerlund

Described as a “playground of endlessly interwoven beats and melodies,” Joe Westerlund, born and raised in the Chippewa Valley, has released a new iteration of tracks that carry his pre-existing textural experimentation with music onward.

As a debut — and teaser — to his forthcoming record, Curiosities from the Shift, Westerlund has released two new songs featured on the 12-track project. The complete record will be released in its analog form on Oct. 3, with a digital release date to follow on Oct. 24.

“Tem,” was released on Aug. 20 and “Can Tangle,” was released on Sept. 10 with Psychic Hotline — who collaborates with other Chippewa Valley artists some might recognize. As listeners dive in, Westerlund’s strategic — yet equally impulsive — compositions “defy the constraints of earthly time, leaving listeners entranced in its peculiar, hypnotic orbit,” the production company shared online.

Prior to the two-single release, Westerlund’s music continued to explore and trek into his personal unknowns, he shared with listeners via Bandcamp. With a similar ring to his 2020 solo project, Reveries in the Rift, Curiosities from the Shift draws attention to not only the pivots one makes in their professional career, but personal life too.

“Built from junkyard percussion, bass splashes & surreal rhythms, it's the beginning of a rich new chapter in Westerlund's sonic exploration,” Psychic Hotline wrote online.

Earlier collaborations with Tim Rutili, a Califone experimentalist, are the foreground for both “Tem” and “Can Tangle.” Rutili is one of many collaborators Westerlund has leaned on to ideate, record, and master this latest musical project.

When listeners envision this junkyard symphony, they are equally welcomed with bright brassy highlights — brought to life by Westerlund’s childhood friend Trever Hagen — and piano chords rooted in surrealism.

Depending on which track you listen to first, you too might find yourself wanting to clash and bang — or simply get up and groove — alongside his audacious rhythms.

IT ALL BEGINS. Sean Carey, pictured above, the Eau Claire musician behind the acclaimed S.Carey musical project, has announced his latest EP and title track, Watercress. (Photo by Etienne Surrette)

"Watercress," by S.Carey

Something cool, crisp, and promising awaits in “Watercress,” the latest single by Sean Carey of S.Carey — also the moniker for his upcoming EP — and a shift in tone from the last collection of songs in Break Me Open.

Following his own reckoning with love and loss — evident in the lyricism of his previous record — there is a familiarity longtime S.Carey listeners will observe with this new release, a calling back to the shallow waters in which watercress grows, he shared to listeners on Bandcamp. “These are the very places that Sean Carey the human being returns to again and again — to fish, to reflect, and to grow.”

A familiar sonic cadence embedded throughout “Watercress” transports listeners back to 2018, when Hundred Acres had just arrived in record stores. Sean's technical instrumentation — a hallmark of his previous work — now evokes a blend of both nostalgia and fresh experiences.

“The guitars are driving the bus. The drums are the backbone. And Sean's voice is telling the tale,” he shared on Bandcamp.

Released alongside the new single, a music video for “Watercress” captures the natural wonders that continue to inspire Sean's lyricism. Filmed by Kyle Lehman of Ivy Media and edited by Erik Elstran, there appears to be a recurring connection between these Chippewa Valley artisans and friends.

“In a flower burial, it’s too much to carry all; all begin in watercress,” the lyrics read. His folk-jazz influence consistently flows through the track, mirroring water's movement.

“Watercress” was recorded at Hive in Eau Claire alongside Zach Hanson and Brian Joseph. Listeners will recognize familiar voices from S.Carey’s chosen musical family — including those of guest singers Gia Margaret and Hannah Hebl — echo within the track.

As fans eagerly await October’s golden leaf mosaic in the treeline — where S. Carey finds renewed inspiration — they also anticipate the full EP release on October 3.

Courtney Hartman, Joe Westerlund, and S.Carey's latest releases are available to stream online through Bandcamp. Visit their individual artist profiles to learn more about their musical projects as they evolve.