It’s been quite a year for Caley Conway. Over the course of the last 12 months, the inimitable Milwaukee musician gave listeners the gift of a five-song holiday EP called Boleslaus The Cruel, then chased it with an EP of originals in April. Along the way, she’s played out avidly with Cairns, contributed to OQ’s debut, performed in Field Report’s live ensemble, and played a heft of solo and full-band shows under her own moniker. So with 2019 inching to an end, will the prolific Milwaukee singer-songwriter call it a year and go into hibernation for a while? Evidently, the answer is a resounding “hell no.”
Conway recently went to Honeytone Records in Neenah, Wisconsin to record a brand new song as part of the studio’s “Singles” series. Ironically, the solo artist’s single is about matrimony. “Your Wedding Song” starts with a jolting frenzy of distorted guitars and percussion before smoothing out considerably to become a delicate song about the act of marriage, with an underlying sense of doubt conveyed by Conway’s touching lyrics and melodies.
“I wrote ‘Your Wedding Song’ in an intense state of skepticism and awe of marriage,” Conway tells Milwaukee Record. “In my mind, [the song is] about someone recklessly promising themselves to another person in a kind of desperation.”
It’s safe to say this year has been productive one for Conway, and if “Your Wedding Song” is her parting shot for 2019, it’s a memorable way to go out and an encouraging lead-in to what’s sure to be a busy 2020. Before the song is officially released by Honeytone Records on November 1 and prior to Conway’s show at Hacienda Beer Co. on Saturday, you can listen to “Your Wedding Song” now.