Halley Greg

Seattle singer-songwriter Halley Greg first rose to acclaim during the blind auditions on Season 20 of The Voice. John Legend called her slowed-down, piano ballad version of Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” “poetic” and “beautifully crafted,” and the performance earned her a spot on Team Kelly. Her appearance on the show coincided with the release of her debut album, American Harlot, a feminist rebranding of the pop/rock albums of the early 2000s. Filled with distorted guitar solos and pithy pop vocal melodies, the album is an ode to angry women everywhere. The first line from the title track exemplifies Greg’s brand of sultry, cutthroat sass: “Welcome home dear / Take off your shoes / I’ll massage your feet and your ego, too.” American Harlot received acclaim from Seattle press and was featured on Talking Tracks, a podcast by Seattle music publication Dan’s Tunes.

While American Harlot mostly confines Greg’s anger to personal epithets, her sophomore release, recorded with Eric Lilavois at London Bridge Studios (Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band), is a critique and catharsis of America’s current political climate. Aptly called Straightjacket, the album takes on issues from gun rights to toxic masculinity. Greg’s pure and ethereal voice cuts through raucous guitar riffs, while her lyrics are so thick with social critique they’re almost punk. Think the clarity of Regina Spektor, the whistle tones of Mariah Carey, the attitude of No Doubt, and the arrangements of Paramore.