For many, motherhood is a time of learning and empowerment. It’s no different for Hilary Ladd, who’s used this time to find the strength to draw boundaries after a long time of bending backwards to please people.
“Doin’ Just Fine” is the first Erin Costelo-produced single from Ladd’s upcoming album, Breastmilk + Tears. The album is a collection of high-energy pop songs that Ladd has written despite her busy schedule as a new mother. With Ladd being more accustomed to writing and performing folk songs, she has imagined these tracks into a narrative concert with the help of ArtsNB and Music New Brunswick.
The first glimpse into her new sound endeavour is fresh and invigorating. Gone are the whimsical instrumentals of her Ladd & Lasses days, replaced instead by buzzing synth and bass. It’s a strong first impression—she’s here to make a stand.
“This song is a representation of every time I’ve ever bent too far backwards for someone,” explains Ladd. “It took me a long time to get honest about how angry I was about the resentment that lingered from every relationship I’d ever been in. This was all amplified when I became a mother. All the external and internal expectations of what it means to be a good mom are like a buffet for the over-achieving, people pleaser.”
And that anger comes through loud and clear on this track. Ladd lets her inner psyche fly, with lyrics that feel stream of consciousness at points in the way that each pointed line slides into the next. Her vocals are wild and free, and the wail she builds into at the end of the final chorus is as therapeutic to listen to as it must have been for Ladd to record.
The show is set to premiere on January 29th of next year at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, NB.