Nashville singer/songwriter Erin Rae and her group the Meanwhiles emerged in 2012 with a sound rooted in dreamy indie folk, Americana, and '70s pop/rock. Rae issued her minimalist solo debut, Putting on Airs, in 2018, followed in 2022 by the dynamic, retro-pop, and country-leaning Lighten Up.

Born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, Erin Rae McKaskle grew up in a musical home. Her family eventually relocated to Nashville, and it was there that Rae picked up her first six-string and began writing songs. Influenced by distinctive roots music artists like Bobbie Gentry, Lee Hazlewood, and Don Williams, she formed Erin Rae the Meanwhiles in the early 2010s. The group issued their debut EP, Crazy Talk, in 2011, followed by their well-received first full-length effort, Soon Enough, four years later. Rae dropped the Meanwhiles ahead of the arrival of her sophomore effort, 2018's Putting on Airs. Her first outing for John Paul White's Single Lock label, the LP earned acclaim for its catchy melodic turns and intimate ruminations on life, love, and loss. In 2021, Rae enlisted producer/artist Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Billy Strings) to help deliver her most vibrant set of songs to date. Released the following year, Lighten Up added elements of light psychedelia, indie pop, and cosmic country to Rae's sonic arsenal. "Rich Man," a bonus track from those same sessions, was issued later that year as a single. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi