Song Premiere: The Lied To's "One String"

​After separately weathering similar personal experiences, Susan Levine and Doug Kwartler joined forces as The Lied To’s in 2014. The following year, they released their well-received, self-titled debut which dealt with the emotional turmoil of divorce and its aftermath. Now, the twosome are prepping the release of their sophomore project, The Lesser of Two Evils (May 11) which not only reflects on those events, but explores what comes next.
 
Both Kwartler and Levine, whose professional relationship blossomed into a personal one, are single parents to two children each and admit that while juggling family life, music, and their relationship can fuel inspiration for songwriting, it can also be a struggle. “Like everyone else is feeling right now, except maybe the 1%, you just go about your day looking straight ahead trying to get things done,” Kwartler says, adding, “You work, pay bills, take care of your kids, have a relationship, and deal with your past…oh, and we also try to make music. The new record covers all that. While the songs are not purely autobiographical, the emotional truths definitely come from everything we've been through.”  

Despite the challenges, The Lied To's continue to build momentum around the eagerly anticipated eleven-track project which uniquely blends folk, rock, bluegrass, and country in ways that capture The Lied To's distinctive style, one that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Today, TDC is pleased to share with you one of the album’s standout tunes, “One String.” Penned by Kwartler, the poignant "One String" is led by the seamless interplay of fiddle, banjo, and organ alongside a stoic drumbeat and Kwartler's melancholy vocals which draw the listener into the stirring narrative, conveying the aching awareness of feeling incomplete. 
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“There’s one string missing from my heart
And its big and round and should have been there form the start’
But ever since the day I was born, there’s the space from which it’s torn
There’s one string missing from the heart”
 
Kwartler relays the story behind the song, “It’s pretty hard to find a guitar with 11-strings unless your 12-string is missing one. I picked up my 12-string acoustic, which at that point had 11-strings on it, and started half-jokingly singing, ‘There’s one string missing from my guitar.’ But then soon it became something more. Maybe you feel that there’s something missing in your emotional DNA that could help you survive the rigors of this world, be it personal, political, or otherwise. I think a lot of us feel that way, whether we admit it or not.”
 
Fun fact: “One String,” cleverly name drops Keith Richards who infamously plays with five strings…..he has "one string" missing from his six string, too.
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