Her penetrating voice and haunting piano melodies stir up a world of deep emotions. The lyrics, 11 out of 12 of them original, prove that young people are more articulate and moving than most give them credit for.
But it wasn't always this way for Halie. She struggled with an eating disorder for years, during which she was also pursuing her music career. She says that the lyrics to one song in particular, Empty, which was written after her recovery, "...is sort of me talking to my old self, trying to bring that 'self' to her senses. I've had a lot of comments from both women and men, but mostly young women, who relate to the feelings expressed in it."
The song reflects her inner pain and conflict that results from disordered eating. She sings:
That's a good Girl/ Don't you give up now/ You won't be okay/ 'Til you're inside out and/ Empty/ Empty/ Empty Isn't that what you wanted?
Little seed, now an ugly tree/ Watered by the self-hate you feed upon/ Darkened eyes, silent cry/ Slowly die-in your mind/ In your mind/ In your mind/ As you empty.
The album is filled with such honest and profound lyrics, bringing the listener deep into her world of both joy and pain.
Now doing what she loves while going to school, her first solo album, Full Cirlce, was released this year by White Moon Productions and is gaining rave reviews. With a "molasses-dipped sound of Tori [Amos], Sarah [McLachlan], and Joni [Mitchell]," this young woman is on her way to bigger things.
You can find out more about Halie Loren at her website, www.halieloren.net, where you can also buy Full Cirlce and find out when she's performing in your city.