Rebecca Pidgeon

The esteemed songwriter, guitarist and vocal stylist Rebecca Pidgeon is set to captivate fans again new with the release of her 12^th album, Unillusion, and will be performing it here at McCabes on August 31st.

Recorded primarily at Forward Motion Studios in Los Angeles with long producer Fernando Perdomo, this album marks a return to organic, acoustic sounds of her Chesky Records debut The Raven. Unillusion is being released on CD, digital download and streaming platforms on Toy Canteen Records, August 29.

Pidgeon conceived of Unillusion as a more relaxed and intimate recording from the start to contrast with the intricate, polished, layered sound of her most recent albums. When she discussed her ideas with Perdomo, he had her look at episodes of MTV Unplugged series and Rebecca decided then and there, “It felt like the right approach—minimal, human, with moments that are as stripped down as just voice and acoustic guitar.”

Pidgeon and Fernando went into the studio with a team of outstanding musicians: Perdomo (bass, electric guitar); Andy Studer (violin, viola), Eszter Balint (violin on “Monkey Man” and “Where is the Man”); Matt Tecu (drums); Rebecca on acoustic guitar and vocals. Together they recapture the unfiltered warmth and immediacy of her earliest recordings while showing impressive sonic evolution showcasing her ever-maturing songwriting.

The album’s lyric themes range from the epic to the deeply personal. Tracks like “Dasharatha” draw inspiration from the ancient Indian epic poem, the Ramayana, weaving timeless tales of jealousy, grief, and rebirth into contemporary idiom recalling work like Bob Dylan’s “Isis” or PJ Harvey’s retelling of the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah in “Hair.” More personal tracks venture into raw, emotional territories, resonating with listeners on a deeply human level.

Rebecca Pidgeon was born in Cambridge, MA and raised primarily in Edinburgh, Scotland, gravitating towards music as a child. Mom and Dad introduced her to the likes of James Taylor, while she eventually discovered both Kate Bush and The Sex Pistols on her own. She fronted the band Ruby Blue for three records before relocating to the United States where she launched her solo career. Fan favorite albums followed including The Raven (1994), The New York Girls’ Club (1996), The Four Marys (1998), Tough On Crime (2000), and Behind the Velvet Curtain (2008), four songs appearing in the critically acclaimed film Red Belt. The ensuing decade saw her release Slingshot (2011), Blue Dress On (2013), Bad Poetry (2014), and Sudden Exposure to Light (2019). Praising the latter, American Songwriter affirmed, “She’s the real deal,” and Glide Magazine noted, “Pidgeon’s prolific work as a songwriter and vocalist is akin to the self-immersion she undertakes for her mesmerizing performances on camera.”