Kevin Bronson on June 12th, 2022

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Rounding up three sweet new songs, and their visuals, from Miya Folick, Lissie and Fana Hues …

MIYA FOLICK, “Ordinary”

“I can’t have it all / And I wouldn’t want to,” Miya Folick sings on “Ordinary,” the follow-up to April’s “Oh God” and just her second release since 2019. It’s as bold a statement as a gently strummed, tenderly sung ballad (cushioned by Gia Margaret’s piano part) can be — kind of an anti-narcissism treatise that takes a hard look at reality. “This song is about slowing down, looking inward, taking time with the people you love,” Folick says. “Things don’t have to be a party or a spectacle. They don’t have to be special to feel special. Rather than finding joy in rushing into things, I’m finding joy in patience, in quiet, in getting to know somebody slowly.” Noah Kentis directed the video; the song will appear on a forthcoming EP from Nettwerk.

LISSIE, “Flowers”

Lissie has returned to her Midwestern roots — she had come west from the Quad Cities (quick, name ’em) many moons ago, planted herself in Ojai and now is stationed on a farm in Iowa. The singer-songwriter last week introduced her fifth album, “Carving Canyons” (out Sept. 16), by released a heavenly slice of folk, “Flowers.” The song features vocals by Henry Brill and Bre Kennedy, two of a batch of co-writers (including Madi Diaz, Morgan Nagler, Natalie Hemby, Kate York and Sarah Buxton) with whom she worked the album, which was produced by Curt Schneider (Patty Smyth, Lucero). “The prettiest blooms literally come from shit, it’s a fertilizer,” she says of the new single’s lyrical themes. “I wanted to claim my right to feel my feelings. As I grieved — not only for a relationship, but for the world in the midst of a pandemic — I felt like my anger made people uncomfortable, but I came out the other side empowered and ready to step back into my light. I can grow my own flowers and make my own joy.”

FANA HUES, “Drive”

Pasadena singer-songwriter Fana Hues’ vocals flit and flutter all over the silky R&B track “Drive” like a frisky breeze. It’s the first song from a compilation album from Pigeons & Planes titled “See You Next Year,” featuring 10 tracks from emerging artists and produced by Grammy-winning Mike Dean. “I had a glimpse of that freedom that I hope I get in this next year creatively,” Fana explains of her experience working on the lead single. “When I get out of my own head and just write something that just feels good, rather than over-analyzing what it is. So ‘Drive’ was a breath of fresh air, creatively, for me, because I got to just go off and do what it is that came naturally.” Hues had done nothing but trend upward since the 2020 release of her debut album “Hues” (featuring “Icarus,” “Yellow” and “Lay Up,” among others. Last year brought the release of her sophomore album, “Flora + Fana,” and a feature on Tyler, the Creator’s “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance.”