The Returner

Prologue:

16 womxn,10 songs, 6 days and 3 chosen brothers. We conjured this album into being over Winter Solstice Week, December 2022 at the old A&M studios (now Henson) in the City of Angels where Joni recorded Court & Spark and Blue. Where Carole King recorded Tapestry. We communed with the spirits in the walls and the recording booths and most of all, with each other. We laughed and cried and danced and celebrated and mourned the unbearable yet inevitable entropy and ecstasy of being here, in these bodies, in this time, on this Improbable Blue Sphere in the midst of the Mystery & Wonder & Uncertainty. Held in Perpetual Elliptical Motion by our Bright Star in the Boundless, Bountiful Black Void. Right Here. Right Now. Together. Against all odds. Our Circle is Sacred. Our Circle in Unbroken. The Rainbow Coalition cannot be stopped. We are all Returners.

We thank all our Ancestors —musical, spiritual, physical, metaphysical— who lived through times harder than these—whose Resilience, Strength, Hope & Imagination sustain us all.

May the “Chords of Inquiry” always resonate and beckon and lift us up and in and out. May the Spirit of Creative Collaboration and Creative Communion never die. May the Whole always be Greater than the Sum of the Parts.

We are more than seeds

We’re the soil and the water

The Good Ancestors

Once and Future Sounds

Branches Roots Revolution

It’s Our Time to Rise

—Allison Russell, The Outside Child, The Returner

For Ida Maeve always - we wrote you some “bangers” as you requested — love, Mom & Dad & Uncle Drew

All Songs Written By Allison Russell, JT Nero & Drew Lindsay aka (AR/Dim Star)

(Concord Copyrights/ Outside Child (BMI) obo itself and Po Girl Music (SOCAN) c/o Concord Music Publishing

Chicago Bird Music (BMI)

Marvellous Times LLC (BMI))

String arrangements by Larissa Maestro*
*“Eve Was Black” string arrangement by SistaStrings (Chauntee and Monique Ross)

** “Stay Right Here” and “Shadowlands” string arrangements by Larissa Maestro and Drew Lindsay

Produced by Dim Star and Allison Russell

Engineered by Brandon Bell at Henson Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

Assistant Engineer: Kelsey Porter at Henson

Mixed by Brandon Bell at The Cabin Studio (Nashville, TN, USA)

Mastered by Kim Rosen at Knack Mastering (Ringwood, NJ, USA)

Photography by: Dana Trippe

Cover Design & Art by: Jessi Ujazi

These songs were brought to life by

The Rainbow Coalition:

Allison Russell— lead vocals, harmony vocals, banjo, clarinet, water phone, handclaps, foot stomping

Chauntee Ross (SistaStrings)— harmony vocals, violin, handclaps

Elenna Canlas— harmony vocals, synthesizers, Fender Rhodes, Piano, percussion, handclaps

Elizabeth Pupo-Walker— Gon Bop Congas, LP Bongos, West African Toms, Log Drum, array of small percussion, handclaps

Ganessa James— harmony vocals, electric bass, handclaps

Joy Clark— harmony vocals, acoustic guitar

Kerenza Peacock— violin

Larissa Maestro— harmony vocals, cello, handclaps

Lisa Coleman — harmony vocals, piano, synthesizers

Mandy Fer (Sway Wild)— harmony vocals, electric guitar, handclaps

Megan Coleman— drums, percussion, handclaps

Meg McCormick — harmony vocals, electric guitars, electric bass

Monique Ross (SistaStrings)— harmony vocals, cello, handclaps

Wendy Melvoin — harmony vocals, electric guitars, bass, baritone electric guitar

Wiktoria Bialic— drums, percussion, handclaps

Special Guests: Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark & Hozier joined the Rainbow Coalition Choir on Requiem

Special Thanks to Tom Cusimano for Korg USA
Special Thanks to Dan Rice at Motherland Music

Artist Representation/Management:

Management: Nicki Loranger and Mark Nesbitt at Vector Management

Legal Representation: Gillian R. Bar, Esq. at Carroll Guido Groffman Cohen Bar & Karalian, LLP

Publicity: Meghan Helsel at Grandstand Media

Booking: Jonathan Levine, Lynn Cingari, Rob Challice, Olly Hogdon & Sarah Fargo at Wasserman Music & Film

Micaela Hicks at Vox

https://allisonrussellmusic.com

1.Springtime (04:11)

(AR/DIM STAR)

Vocals, harmony Vocals and clarinet by Allison Russell

Violin and harmony vocals by Chauntee Ross

Synth and harmony vocals by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Bass and harmony vocals by Ganessa James

Cello and harmony vocals by Larissa Maestro

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Harmony vocals by Mandy Fer

Electric Guitar by Meg McCormick

Cello and harmony vocals by Monique Ross

Acoustic Guitar by Wendy Melvoin

Drums and Green Bottle by Wiktoria Bialic

2.The Returner (03:51)

(AR/DIM STAR) (string arrangement by Larissa Maestro)

Vocals and clarinet by Allison Russell

Violin and harmony vocals by Chauntee Ross

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Acoustic Guitar by Joy Clark

Violin by Kerenza Peacock

Cello and harmony vocals by Larissa Maestro

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Drums by Meg Coleman

Electric Guitar by Meg McCormick

Cello and harmony vocals by Monique Ross

Bass by Wendy Melvoin

String arrangements by Larissa Maestro

3. All Without Within (03:13)

(AR/DIM STAR)

Vocals and harmony vocals by Allison Russell

Harmony Vocals by Chauntee Ross, Elenna Canlas, Ganessa James, Larissa Maestro, Lisa Coleman, Mandy Fer, Monique Ross, Wendy Melvoin

Synth by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Synth by Lisa Coleman

Electric Guitar by Mandy Fer

Bass by Wendy Melvoin

Drums by Wiktoria Bialic

4. Demons (04:29)

(AR/DIM STAR)

Vocals and Clarinet by Allison Russell

Harmony Vocals by Chauntee Ross, Elenna Canlas, Larissa Maestro, Mandy Fer, Monique Ross

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Drums and Percussion by Megan Coleman

Bass by Meg McCormick

Acoustic Guitars by Wendy Melvoin

5. Eve Was Black (06:04)

(AR/DIM STAR) (string arrangement by SistaStrings)

Vocals, banjo, footstomps by Allison Russell

Violin and harmony vocals by Chauntee Ross

Synth and Fender Rhodes by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Bass by Ganessa James

Acoustic guitar by Joy Clark

Cello by Larissa Maestro

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Drums and percussion by Megan Coleman

Electric guitar by Meg McCormick

Cello and harmony vocals by Monique Ross

String arrangements by SistaStrings (Chauntee and Monique Ross)

6. Stay Right Here (04:10)

(AR/DIM STAR) (string arrangement by larissa maestro)

Vocals and Clarinet by Allison Russell

Violin and Harmony Vocals by Chauntee Ross

Fender Rhodes and Harmony Vocals by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Violin by Kerenza Peacock

Cello and Harmony Vocals by Larissa Maestro

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Electric Guitar and Harmony Vocals by Mandy Fer

Cello and Harmony Vocals by Monique Ross

Bass and Electric Guitar by Wendy Melvoin

Drums by Wiktoria Bialic

String arrangements by Larissa Maestro and Drew Lindsay

7. Shadowlands (04:13)

(AR/DIM STAR) (string arrangement by larissa maestro)

Vocals and harmony vocals by Allison Russell

Violin by Chauntee Ross

Synth Bass and harmony vocals by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Bass by Ganessa James

Cello and harmony vocals by Larissa Maestro

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Cello by Monique Ross

Electric Guitar by Wendy Melvoin

Drums and Percussion by Wiktoria Bialic

String arrangements by Larissa Maestro and Drew Lindsay

8. Rag Child (03:04)

(AR/DIM STAR)

Vocals, harmony vocals, and banjo by Allison Russell

Synthesizer by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Drums by Meg Coleman

Electric Guitar by Meg McCormick

Bass by Wendy Melvoin

Shaker by Wiktoria Bialic

9. Snakelife (04:38)

(AR/DIM STAR) (string arrangement by larissa maestro)

Vocals, harmony vocals and bowed water phone by Allison Russell

Violin and harmony vocals by Chauntee Ross

Synthesizer and harmony vocals by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Bass by Ganessa James

Acoustic Guitar by Joy Clark

Cello and harmony vocals by Larissa Maestro

Piano by Lisa Coleman

Electric Guitar and backing vocals by Mandy Fer

Drums and Percussion by Megan Coleman

Electric Guitar by Meg McCormick

Cello and backing vocals by Monique Ross

Drums and Percussion Wiktoria Bialic

10. Requiem (06:14)

(AR/DIM STAR)

Vocals and harmony vocals by Allison Russell

Harmony Vocals: Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Chauntee Ross, Elenna Canlas,

Ganessa James, Hozier, Joy Clark, JT Nero, Larissa Maestro, Lisa Coleman, Mandy Fer, Monique Ross, Wendy Melvoin, Elenna Canlas

Synthesizer by Elenna Canlas

Percussion by Elizabeth Pupo-Walker

Bass by Ganessa James

Acoustic Guitar by Joy Clark

Piano, Synth by Lisa Coleman

Drums by Megan Coleman

Acoustic Guitar by Wendy Melvoin