Faye Webster’s latest album stayed true to its title. Underdressed at the Symphony did not quite meet the 2024 standard of new indie albums. However, with her ongoing live performances, Yo-Yo Invitational, and recent singles, Webster is reminding people of her relevance and flair. While her current shenanigans may feel like Webster is finally becoming her own person, in reality, she’s always been like this.
Let’s take a step back: The year is 2013, and it’s nearly Halloween. Webster releases her first album. The record, Run and Tell, is distinct from her current work and serves as a memento of her Southern upbringing. While she cites Atlanta as her musical inspiration on all her albums and features the pedal steel, a specific type of guitar, to this day, Run and Tell’s sound is definitely Southern, especially in comparison to her later work. Her vocals on songs like “Sweet Lad” and “Mama Stay” have much more of a country folk twang. I love those songs and the rest of Run and Tell because of this, but Webster has expressed a degree of dissatisfaction with the record. In an interview with American Songwriter, she stated: “I wish I didn’t put out my own record when I was 16. But, I think that’s just an ‘artist’s perspective on their own work’ kind of thing. Overall, I’m very grateful, because, obviously, I wouldn’t be the same person or doing the same stuff if I hadn’t done all of that first.”
After Run and Tell, Webster attended college in Nashville for a semester, before returning home to Atlanta to continue producing music. She left Tennessee because of its stagnancy and the feeling that everyone was making the same music as each other. On the other hand, Atlanta was unapologetic in its sound diversity—everyone did their own thing. Not only was Atlanta a more inspiring city, but she also found community at Awful Records. She was introduced to Awful by longtime friend Ethereal, and started working with them as a photographer. She composed the perfect shots of artists, including middle school friend Lil Yachty, while still writing songs in her own time. Eventually, she signed with Awful, despite the label almost exclusively representing rappers and R&B artists, including Father and formerly, Playboi Carti. The only record she released with Awful was her self-titled album. This time in her career was the first of many instances when Webster simply knew what she wanted and just did it.
What is refreshing about Faye Webster is her continuous creative autonomy. At Awful, she was just making music and art with her friends. Her success comes from her passion for every project. Even after switching labels a few years ago, she still does what she wants, both as a creative director and musical artist. Take Atlanta Millionaires Club. More often than not, when I mention this album, people say, “Oh, is that the one with the really disgusting cover?” Yes, it is the one with chocolate coins oozing out of her hands, residue smothering her lips, and eyes affixed in a trance. It’s honestly one of my favorite covers because of how off-putting it is. It is not the most savory image, but who said it had to be? Despite the contentious cover, Atlanta Millionaires Club is filled with hit songs such as “Kingston” and “Right Side of My Neck” — this is the album that made her famous. The sound is quintessential Faye Webster, like no other artist out there. Part of what makes her unique is the frequency of the pedal steel, which is most commonly found nowadays in country music. However, even with the pedal steel and songs about longing, her music is far from country.
While Faye Webster could be successful in her production alone, she is known for her intimate yet silly lyricism. In Underdressed at the Symphony, her favorite track (according to her Instagram) is “Feeling Good Today.” The song is over-autotuned and the best verse is: “I might open my doors / I got a exterminator / So it doesn't matter if bugs come in / That way my dog goes outside / My neighbors know his name / Thought that was weird, but I'm over it.” There is nothing groundbreaking about how she thought it was weird her neighbors knew her dog’s name, but it is a relatable inner monologue. She also reveals so much about one sliver of a moment, but that is it—a single moment. The ephemerality of her lyrics creates an illusion for listeners. We feel connected with Webster, but the moment is zoomed in and blurry, and ultimately, we are not a part of it. Despite writing songs that I assume are semi-autobiographical, she shares solely her emotions and maintains her privacy.
The same can be seen in her most recent single, “After the First Kiss.” The song is a glimpse at a whirlwind of a future. One single kiss, and Webster knows this person is her wife and makes plans to meet her mom, yet she does not even know her last name. There are many details that frame the narrative without giving very much away. Many listeners on the internet suspect the song is about Webster’s girlfriend and singer, Deb Never—an inference based on the music video for the same song, which features Live Action Role Playing (LARP). In what appears to be a field behind the local Safeway, the video takes place during a battle of LARPers, with Webster in green warlock prosthetics and Deb Never in fantastic prosthetics as well. By the end, they are the two sole survivors, and they kiss. While the video was directed by frequent creative partner, Kyle Ng, this video could not be any more Faye Webster. While LARP as a term might be quasi-mainstream, the activity itself is not. No studio executive could have thought of this concept, not even an indie one. I suspect Webster is genuinely interested in LARPing and wants to explore it on set.
My favorite fun fact about Webster is her love for yo-yos. It is unclear when she started yo-yoing, or how or why, but she certainly is not shy about her passion. She has released multiple yo-yos and recently hosted the first Faye Webster Yo-Yo Invitational. The event took place amidst a slough of seven straight tour dates on her and her team's ‘day off.’ She has multiple music videos on her social media that feature her yo-yo skills. Her authenticity and commitment are beyond endearing, especially in the age of PR gimmicks and clickbait. Seeing public figures who care about what they do makes me appreciate their work so much more. In addition to yo-yos, Webster also loves minions. While it is hard to find someone who doesn’t like minions, who can say that they collaborated with Illumination Entertainment on their Coachella set to minionize themself, and then started every subsequent show on tour with the animation? Faye Webster can.
While we probably can’t expect another album soon, Faye Webster is far from irrelevant. Pulling from her love of Atlanta, yo-yos, and minions, her antics are unpredictable, yet delightful. While she has evolved as a musician over the years, her music remains truthful to who she is. Faye Webster has built a world that is cohesive in its eclectic and candid nature, the traits that make her an indie darling.
