Purser, 3x
When local singer-songwriter Purser sat down to work on new music in 2023, they began a journey that took them back to their past — just down the street from it, to be exact. Their new EP 3x was recorded near their childhood home in Franklin, and it explores Purser’s personal navigation of deep familial rifts with compassion and conviction.
Although it’s not Purser’s first EP (their debut is no longer available on streaming platforms, so it's a bit of a ghost), 3x — pronounced “three times” — is a big moment for the indie folk-rock artist.
The project consists of only three acoustic-heavy songs — Purser does a whole lot with very little. The songs feature relaxed yet dynamic guitar melodies accompanied only by bass and drums. Purser calls it their musical “three-person nuclear family.” Opening track “Under the Needle” kicks off the EP's deep dive into a family on the brink of severance, as Purser sings: “Please will you show me / Why you can only / Love what you can control.”
"There’s no better moment to release this project," Purser says in a release. "It’s urgent for all of us, especially fellow queer and trans people, to talk honestly about the deep-seated tensions dividing our families. Hopefully, practicing a terrifying level of honesty can eventually lead to healing in our biological families, chosen families or both.”
The second song, “Dust,” is a fast-paced roller coaster that packs a punch, featuring guitar riffs reminiscent of a Grace-era Jeff Buckley. 3x finishes with the standout title track, on which Purser’s lilting vocals accompany a steady build-up to a beat-drop that is well worth the wait.
Keeping with the theme of threes, 3x will hit streaming platforms on March 3, and Purser plans to celebrate the release with a show at Nashville’s Gay Ole Opry on March 8 at The Basement. Stream 3x's title track via the embed below.
