English harpist and singer-songwriter Hattie Webb released her second solo album, titled Wild Medicine, on Oct. 25 on Hearts Connect Records. Wild Medicine also features guest artists such as Mike Campbell (who also co-wrote two songs on the album), Benmont Tench, Vinnie Colaiuta, Eric Johnson, and Pat Leonard. The new recording is now available on major streaming platforms.
According to a press release, the album features songs with “lyrics on self-discovery, trauma, and heartbreak,” exploring multiple genres such as Celtic folk, Americana, pop, and even a waltz. Webb says her departure from the traditional harp narrative is intentional. “Playing the harp growing up, people expect you to be more gentle, or to perhaps not be so direct with how you feel,” she says. “In my years of studying, going to harp festivals, I struggled with the more creatively narrow narrative that the harp is sometimes given. There’s so much intensity and meat in the instrument, like a grand piano, and I really wanted to explore how that could translate into the songs I was writing.”
Webb is currently on an international tour with David Gilmour, with upcoming concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles Oct. 29–31 and at Madison Square Garden in New York Nov. 4–6 and Nov. 9–10. She began her career alongside her sister as a duo known as The Webb Sisters who, in addition to recording and releasing their own music, toured with artists such as Leonard Cohen and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Webb has also played for HRH Queen Elizabeth II and The Spanish Royal Family at The Prince of Asturias Awards.
For more information, visit Webb’s website.
