Waxahatchee

“You just settle in, like a song with no end,” sings Katie Crutchfield on “Right Back to It,“ the hit single from her 2024 album Tiger’s Blood — her sixth under the Waxahatchee moniker. Named after a creek she grew up near in Alabama, Waxahatchee has been a consistent voice among indie circles for the better part of a decade, and the success of Tiger’s Blood has boosted her closer to the mainstream than ever. Waxahatchee’s music exists under the vast umbrella of “singer-songwriter” but she’s protean in her approach. Call her folk, country, blues or indie and you’d be partly right. But you’d also be underselling her versatility, which is on display throughout the 12 tracks of Tiger’s Blood. From the upbeat, semi-rock anthem “Bored“ to a song that feels transported from a different era in “Crowbar,“ Waxahatchee finds comfort on the outskirts of multiple genres yet still manages a singular sound, a voice distinct from any other. She may not have been talking to us, the listeners, but that lyric definitely applies to anyone hearing her music for the first time: settling in is easy.

Sometimes, the Grammys get one right. I let out one of my longest “Yeah boys” ever when I found out Tiger’s Blood had been nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2025 Grammys. Not only is this a huge win for Waxahatchee fans, it’s a huge win for fans of mastering your craft. Waxahatchee has fine-tuned her sound over the years, and she’s blazing with confidence on this album. To see that work rewarded with a Grammy nomination is wonderful.

I’m not one of those people who will try to convince you that popular music is dying, blah, blah, blah, but I don’t think it’s a reach to say that very few people are making as good of music as Waxahatchee is right now. Being a Waxahatchee fan is extremely easy — every few years you get an incredible album which is somehow better than the last. It’s worth the price of admission (free) I promise.