On Friday, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Julien Baker will release her second album, Turn Out The Lights, one of the most emotionally overpowering albums of 2017.

A native of Memphis, Baker came up in the city’s local punk scene, playing in the band Forrister before she started writing stark, confessional songs about on her own. Baker’s 2015 debut, Sprained Ankle, was a critical favorite, but Turn Out The Lights ought to raise her profile. Earlier this month, I invited Baker on my podcast to talk about the record and her career. It was about a week after her 22nd birthday, and yet Baker immediately made it clear that she’s wise beyond her years.

Of course, you also get that impression from her songs. But Baker is the rare artist who can smartly analyze her own work, and articulate the thought process behind it. This makes for a great conversation, which also touches on her love of Bruce Springsteen, whether she would consider working with Jack Antonoff, and the secret to making people cry with a well-placed vocal quiver.

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