Haeli Allen
Up-and-coming performing artists may talk about how committed they are to treating the rigors of the musician’s life: to endless days of driving, to playing to empty rooms, to working even when discouraged and tired.
Lewistown singer-songwriter Haeli Allen isn’t such a musician. While, yes, she is committed to the craft, that commitment needs to be steadied with a similar allegiance to her husband, their four children and the family cattle ranch.
“The kids come to band practice and to the local stuff,” says Allen. “My 10-year-old plays harmonica in the band and is learning the guitar. For me to feel healthy and whole, I need my family life. And I’m lucky, because I get to play to my heart’s content, usually close to home. And I’m not missing anything. I don’t have the emptiness or the void of the road that others seem to have.” Her husband, Jaxon, (who often serves as her bassist or front man in a band setting) is usually along, and the kids, ages 10, 8, 5, and 2 can come along, too.
Allen was born and raised in Stevensville, in the Bitterroot Valley, and she trained in vocal performance at college as part of her minor in music. A couple of years ago, she released her debut recording, The Gilt Edge Collection, a snug, enjoyable selection of original country-bluesy numbers which takes its title from a nearby gold-mining encampment that reached the peak of its prosperity in the early 1910s. Her debut recording certainly clips along crisply with smart, well-enunciated lyrics and enough energy to keep it intriguing.
Busy on the Ranch
Despite the unpleasant state of angst, Allen has learned that lockdown frustrations can offer a unique chance to practice patience.
“I’ve been busy on the ranch and I haven’t hopped on the streaming,” says Allen. “I’m saving myself for live music again. Not having an audience was very humbling to me and it really took a lot of the joy out of performing. I didn’t realize how important and intimate that relationship had felt for me—having real people to look at and draw energy from in a really personal exchange. Things were booked and then bookings starting dropping like flies, and that took the wind out of my sail on the performing end. So, I’ve been really writing a lot.”
The Allens run approximately 300 pairs of cattle and operate a livestock feedlot; and Jaxon is a livestock trucker who hauls the cattle to transport locations countrywide.
“I’ve been milking a cow every day since the lockdown. So, I’m plenty busy. The pandemic is not apparent to us until we try to go out. I’m really blessed that it hasn’t changed a lot on my home front. The blessing is that ranch life is a huge distraction from everything else that’s out there.”
While Allen’s debut album could be considered a solo offering, she has since grown increasingly comfortable cushioned by a family of musicians, literally; Allen, her husband and two of his siblings form The Sightliners.
“I love the relationship, the dynamic and the chemistry with different musicians. I feel very complete when I am performing with my husband. At one point my sister-in-law (Kenzie) and I had a little girl band, and we’d sing with a sweet girl country vibe. The band is so varied: originals, outlaw country, rock covers. My sister-in-law has a folky, country sound, and we’ve got all different backgrounds and styles, but something makes it cohesive and fresh.”
“All About Here”: The Gilt Edge Collection
In The Gilt Edge Collection, Allen channeled her world experience into song. At the core of everything is her voice: Like a dagger swathed in silk, it pokes and slices at the most unexpected of moments. Songs are packaged in a way that capture the complexity of human emotion, with plenty of appreciation for the infectious nature of a swaggering bluesy-country refrain.
“The road we live on is called Gilt Edge and it leads to a ghost town. Gilt Edge is where they mined gold. It was short-lived because there was some money skimming going on. It was the first place they used cyanide in the mining process. It had a huge allure and a lot of people moved there. I took Gilt Edge to be a part of my home, my roots and my family, and my cattle ranch. It’s all about here. What we are building here as a family. I wanted it to be clear, pure and true to who I was when I created it.”
Tags: guitar, Haeli Allen and music