Press Kit
Photo by Des Magness
“A distinct voice in the contemporary indie folk scene. Prepare to be transported.” —Roadie Music
Photo by Des Magness
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Need This - October 2022
Bio
Randle Browning is a songwriter and musician based in Brooklyn, NY. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and as a teen performed with her dad at his LA gigs. In 2019 she joined the Brooklyn indie folk rock group choirgirl and performed widely in NYC. Now in her thirties and raising a daughter, Randle is breaking out as a solo artist in her own right. Her sharp-eyed yet warm songwriting explores deep friendships, difficult relationships, the longing inherent to human experience, and our abiding connection to the natural world. Randle’s music has roots in classic and contemporary folk (Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, Erin Rae, Waxahatchee, Laura Marling, Joan Shelley), and ties to indie rock and pop artists (Julia Jacklin, Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy, Cassandra Jenkins).
Randle has performed widely in New York City at venues including The Sultan Room, Pianos, and The Bowery Electric. After her daughter was born in 2019, her music sharpened into new focus, and her EP Bad Desire (2024) is redolent of all she learned as a new mother making art and building a life with close friends and family. Randle released the indie folk rock/bedroom pop single “Need This” in 2022, about her close friend, long-time collaborator, and producer Noele Flowers. In addition to music, Randle writes fiction and nonfiction, and she co-owns two pizza places that she opened with her partner in Waco, Texas.
“A talented songwriter and musician…‘Plan It Out’ is a harmonious fusion of indie pop, rock and American roots sounds, an emotional journey guided by Browning's captivating voice and profound lyrics that explore themes of connection and longing. Browning's ability to transcend genres and fuse influences cements her place as a distinct voice in the contemporary indie folk scene. Prepare to be transported.” —Roadie Music
“Another gem, Grand Canyon is an indie folk/americana treasure. This exuberant and layered anthem explores the feeling of being torn between different places while in search of a true home. From the delicate vocals to the gentle psych folk tapestry, the incorporation of nature sounds, and the lovely melody, this song is a testament to creating art with an old-school sensibility and a modern appeal that transcends mere hype.” —Last Day Deaf
“A knack for wholesome, harmony-laden nostalgia…spirited vocals that yearn all day long.” —Start Track Blog
About Bad Desire (Debut EP, 2024)
Bad Desire is Browning’s four-song, debut EP, released in January 2024. The EP showcases deeply-felt, minimally-processed vocals, perceptive lyricism, creative instrumentation, and themes of longing and connection. It follows a release cycle that started in the fall, including three single releases: “Flowers,” “Grand Canyon,” and “Plan It Out.”
Bad Desire is Browning’s debut EP, after her indie folk/bedroom pop single “Need This” in 2022. “When I wrote the songs on this EP I was adjusting to big changes, including becoming a mother and seeing many of my closest friends move away from New York City, where I live,” Browning says. “It was a time when I had to think about what I wanted in my life. Ultimately these songs are about desire, in many different forms.”
The singles on this project span from straightforward indie pop rock (“Flowers”), to exuberant singer-songwriter powerhouse (“Grand Canyon”), to exposed folk pop ballad (“Plan It Out”), but they all feature Browning’s evocative vocal performance, which critics have called “mesmerizingly fragile.” Despite their breadth in genre, these songs are tied together by that grounded songwriting. “I wrote all of these songs first with just my voice and the acoustic guitar,” Browning says. Browning has said the songwriting can be interpreted as largely autobiographical.
“Grand Canyon,” the lead track on the EP, is a spirited and exuberant song with deep grooves and a lush layering of found sound. It explores the sometimes contradictory longing for a place that feels like home. “When we went into production, I wanted to make a song that was like a jam band party for people who typically feel left out of that scene,” Browning says. “I wanted a cacophonous sound that captured the feeling of a crowded room, but still plenty of time to take it all in.” The track features atmospheric sound samples, percussive and driving guitar, a soulful bassline, and a billowing piano part played by Aviv Gilad. Press for this track dubbed it “another gem,” “an indie folk/americana treasure,” and a “a gentle psych folk tapestry…that transcends mere hype.”
The lead single off the EP, “Flowers,” offers more straightforward indie rock, with a tender and unvarnished vocal line, energetic instrumentation, and an improvisational background vocal performed by close friend and collaborator Noele Flowers, who produced the EP. “I wrote this song when I felt confused by my own feelings within a relationship, how I could be so devoted to a person but so resistant to the structures around that connection,” Browning says. The EP takes its title from this track, and exemplifies the longing that drives it: “I got a bad desire,” goes the lyric, “I want you closer.”
“Plan It Out” turns inward. “In this song I felt the most exposed, and I worked hard throughout the production, mixing, and mastering process to keep it that way,” Browning says, “This is a song about being afraid to go after what we want, and struggling to accept imperfection and risk.” “Plan It Out” features raw and present vocals and an experimental improvised/experimental cello part played by Nino Soberon.
The EP finishes out with “Stops With Me,” which is grounded by a driving train beat and showcases mournful, close vocals. “I wrote this song about the pitfalls and joys of being a mother and a daughter at the same time, and wanted it to have a haunted quality.” The song ruminates on what we pass on and what we can choose not to. It includes a hidden track featuring Browning’s now-four-year-old daughter.
Listeners will recognize a range of influences in Browning’s music, from indie pop rock artists like Julia Jacklin and Lucy Dacus, to indie folk (Erin Rae, Waxahatchee), to beloved singer-songwriters (Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin), and even cult favorites like Cassandra Jenkins.
“Bad Desire was a project driven by collaborations,” Browning says. Browning recorded the project in New York’s Hudson Valley, with close friend and collaborator Noele Flowers, who also produced the tracks. “Making music with Noele is a dream,” Browning says, “We know each other so well and there is real love and connection between us — that carries over into the music.” Jackson Hoffman of BAD drums on the project, while long-time collaborator Tim Kim and former bandmate Nicole Yentzer play bass. Pianist Aviv Gilad and cellist Nino Soberon also contribute.
This project is held together by its fidelity to honest feeling, and its probing exploration of complicated, often conflicting dynamics within close relationships. It’s about finding family and working to create a life together, despite how hard it can be sometimes. “When my daughter was born in 2019,” Browning says, “it snapped my art into a new focus. I wanted her to see me do the work I want to and to feel she can do the same.”
Browning has been living and making music in New York City since 2016, and now she is breaking out as an independent solo artist in her own right. She will promote the release this fall and winter with shows across New York City.
Press
Interview: EP—Randle Browning, Start Track
“A talented songwriter and musician…‘Plan It Out’ is a harmonious fusion of indie pop, rock and American roots sounds, an emotional journey guided by Browning's captivating voice and profound lyrics that explore themes of connection and longing. Browning's ability to transcend genres and fuse influences cements her place as a distinct voice in the contemporary indie folk scene. Prepare to be transported.” —Roadie Music
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“Another gem, Grand Canyon is an indie folk/americana treasure. This exuberant and layered anthem explores the feeling of being torn between different places while in search of a true home. From the delicate vocals to the gentle psych folk tapestry, the incorporation of nature sounds, and the lovely melody, this song is a testament to creating art with an old-school sensibility and a modern appeal that transcends mere hype.” —Last Day Deaf
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“A knack for wholesome, harmony-laden nostalgia…spirited vocals that yearn all day long.” —Start Track Blog
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“An irreverent and laid-back talent. Sincere and emotional…thought-provoking lyrics that make you want to hum along.” —Roadie Music
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“Energetic, epic, and joyful, with impeccable vocal work.” —R+
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“‘Flowers’ is a radiant indie tune with striking lyrics and an alluring ‘90s tinge… gentle, mesmerizingly fragile vocal performance.” —Start Track Blog
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“A stunner…A mournful look at the ties that bind and their impact on our life, ending with a breath of hope.” —The Owl Mag
Photos
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Select Performance History
10/1/23 ARTMAGEDDON Festival, Brooklyn, NY
7/7/23 — Operation Gig! Porch Concert Series, Brooklyn, NY
3/31/23 — The Sultan Room, Brooklyn, NY
3/9/23 — The Avalon Lounge, Catskill, NY
10/29/22 — The Owl, Brooklyn, NY
10/15/22 — Quinnie’s, Hudson, NY
10/12/22 — Heaven Can Wait, NYC
6/17/22 — Bowery Electric, NYC
With previous performances at The Well (BK), Pianos (NYC), Muchmore’s (BK), Cortiça Sound Studios (NYC), Wonderville (NYC), Jacob Riis Beach Series (Queens), and more.
