Lila Tristram reveals ‘America‘, a ten track indie rock record exploring love, longing and life with poetic textures.
After two years in a remote recording studio, Lila Tristram returns with ‘America’, an elegiac indie rock record that reframes her artistry with scale and intention. The album arrives as a ten track journey through love, longing and reverence for life, blending her introspective folk roots with expansive, courageous and devastating undertones. With ‘America’ set to be released on September 12, 2025, Tristram signals a decisive moment that leans into emotion, texture and narrative weight.
The record moves across distinct sonic landscapes yet remains bound by poetic lyricism, rippling textures and abstract harmony. Tristram guides the listener through a wild and passionate voyage of sounds, from the intense heaviness of “Martha May”, where loud dissonance and dramatic vocals set a storm lit mood, to the laid back, synth driven indie pop of “Baby”, and “Hey, Mother”, a raw solo performance that reads like a delicate love letter. The breadth of feeling across these ten pieces creates a listening experience that is both courageous and powerful.
The album opens with the title track, ‘America’, a slow, brooding introduction that presents a crushing dismantling of the American dream. The lyrics land with clear eyed force, “Since I was young / You’ve been lying to us … I don’t feel betrayed / But my heart has grown older … I’ve always had a dream about America.” Angelic vocal harmonies meet electric guitar, eerie synths and a heavy, dragging drum beat, while a harmonic progression that never quite settles keeps the ground shifting, a reminder that insight rarely arrives without discomfort. 
Other pivotal moments sharpen the record’s arc. “Sounds Like Easter” builds slowly with layered electric guitars, synths and weighted drums toward an explosive expression of love, as Tristram repeats the three words “I love you” until the voice itself breaks. “Closer” offers a striking depiction of the complexities of being an artist, with a line that cuts straight to the core, “Somebody get me out of this one / I wanna be a composer.” The song moves between worlds, from reverberant vocal harmonies that conjure an ethereal underwater image to an epic chorus that layers complex texture and weaving melody, highlighting a finely tuned ear for boundary pushing harmony.
“Overtake” provides respite, a simple song written and recorded on acoustic guitar that recalls Tristram’s beginnings in the London folk scene. “Strawberries” reaches into deep roots and touches on Jungian fascinations as stream of conscious lyrics open like a journey, “Crawl into the silence / in the woods in the back of your mind.”
In one year, Tristram has seen her listenership grow tenfold. Singles from the record have garnered the attention of BBC Radio 6 Music’s Gideon Coe, YouTube channel MAHOGANY, and received playlist support from Alex Rainbird, TIDAL and Apple editorials.
With ‘America’, Lila Tristram advances a body of work that challenges and welcomes in equal measure, standing as a transformative statement that promises a resonant, immersive album experience. 2026 and will be joined by musician and songwriter Chandler Walters.
