Chicago-based artist Lillian King is set to release In Your Long Shadow, an album that doesn’t feel like a debut at all. Written in the aftermath of her father’s passing, the record serves as a clear-eyed exploration of grief, family, and the fleeting weight of ordinary days. Across its ten tracks, King’s strikingly soulful yet understated vocals guide listeners through meditations on quiet walks, old rivers, and the strange comfort of repetition. The album’s sonic landscape navigates the territory between Indie, Singer-Songwriter, Folk Rock, Alt-Pop, and Americana, inviting comparisons to the work of Sharon Van Etten, Big Thief, Mazzy Star, Bill Callahan, Rosali, and Mount Eerie.
While the album is deeply personal, King’s songwriting possesses a universal quality that makes these songs linger. This grounded approach is the result of a decade spent honing her craft, performing everywhere from basement shows in Montreal to solo sets across the U.S. and Canada. In Your Long Shadow represents a culmination of those years, yet it also marks a starting point for a career that’s clearly on the cusp of wider recognition. A key figure in this new chapter is Spencer Krug. After a chance tour pairing in 2024, Krug signed King to his label, Pronounced Kroog, lending industry credibility and curiosity to the release.
Despite the notable co-sign, it remains King’s own voice and vision that define the record. The album’s instrumentation and production were crafted with collaborators Robert Salazar on rhythm, Nick DePrey providing atmospheric keys, and Jack Henry handling the warm, open production. The album’s focus track, “Shadow,” is its heart: a soft, aching song about moving through grief with grace and ritual. This track, along with “Tiber Creek” and “Echo,” is FCC Clean. Alongside the earlier singles, it rounds out a record that moves confidently between sparse folk ballads and subtle full-band arrangements. King successfully carves her own space by blending indie-folk textures with the natural storytelling instincts of her craft.
In Your Long Shadow stands as a quietly stunning debut, marked by its depth, grace, and understated power. It is not just a collection of songs, but a record meant to be lived with, taken on walks, and held close when things get heavy. This release signals the start of something much bigger and is positioned as just the beginning.
