Renée Gros
Renée Gros wrote many of the songs that would ultimately end up on her new album, “Glad I’m Wrong,” in her mom’s backyard. At the time, the New Orleans singer-songwriter was living with her mom, also a musician, and was working on more songs to follow up her first EP, “Temporary Love.”
A vocalist who had grown up singing with other New Orleans performers, Gros made her first step into the world as a songwriter with “Temporary Love.” So although she continued to write, she says she still felt green and unsure.
In her mom’s backyard, though, Gros found inspiration. Sometimes, like on the reflective “Morning Song (Glad I’m Awake),” she just needed a moment to pause.
“I was just really struggling at the time. And I was like, ‘You know what, though? Let me just look at the present, look at what’s physically around me and just be grateful for it,’” Gros says. “That’s the place that I was in when I started writing the album.”
Driven by Gros’ strong vocals and Wurlitzer piano, “Morning Song” opens “Glad I’m Wrong,” an album full of ’70s-inspired rock, R&B and Southern soul. Gros releases her full-length album on vinyl on Friday, April 10, and plays a show that night at BJ’s Lounge. Feeferella will open.
A lively cover photo of Gros in her mom’s backyard, taken by photographer Noé Cugny, sets the vibe for the album. There are lots of blues and reds, a couple of lawn chairs, trophies and an exercise bike, and Gros lights a joint while watering the grass.
“I consider [‘Glad I’m Wrong’] kind of a coming-of-age record for me, and a lot of the songs are about my relationships with a lot of different people in my life,” Gros says.
There are songs, like the title track, about learning to trust your instincts and give yourself grace and, like the song “Winding Me Up,” about asserting oneself when pressed by other people. On the track “Nashville,” Gros questions what could bring her satisfaction in life, and the song “Homesick,” is about finding a home anywhere with the right person.
The cover, Gros adds, helps set up the idea of “being the fullest, sassiest, most vibrant version of yourself while getting your life done. That’s really the ethos of the album: You are you, do you and get it done.”
Gros’ husband and creative partner, musician Tiago Guy, co-wrote and co-produced most of the songs on “Glad I’m Wrong.” And they worked closely with Nigel Hall, whose Hammond organ gives the album a classic rock feel.
There also are contributions by drummer Terence Higgins, who last year toured with Gov’t Mule, keys player Andriu Yanovski, guitarist Danny Abel, percussionist Thomas Glass, vocalist Yolanda Robinson and more. The album was recorded at Marigny Studios and Major Sounds with engineer Mack Major.
On the album, Gros leans into her love for classic roots rock, R&B and soul, music her mom introduced to her. Gros grew up on the West Bank and often watched her mother, Nancy “Lil’ Red” Gros, perform with her band Big Bad around the city. Renée Gros’ first experience on stage was with her mother’s band at Parkway Bakery and Tavern in 2007.
After attending Emerson College in Boston, where she graduated in 2018, Gros returned to New Orleans and began performing with musicians like the late Russell Batiste. After releasing “Temporary Love” in 2022 — which featured Hall, Jon Cleary and Ivan Neville — Gros has grown her solo performances and also works often with Guy.
“Glad I’m Wrong” will ultimately end up on streaming platforms, but for now, Gros wants to focus on releasing the vinyl, she says. A debut album is a meaningful project, and it was important to Gros to have something people can hold and look over.
“It’s a physical work of art,” Gros says.
The April 10 show starts at 9 p.m. Cover is $10. Find a link to the vinyl and more on Instagram: @the.renee.gros.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
