Adaptogens, Paula Frainger

In lifelong seclusion in rural County Wicklow, Ina Boyle created a legacy of song – tender, often melancholy, illuminated by an exquisite sense for harmony. ‘I think it is most courageous of you to go on with such little recognition,’ wrote Vaughan Williams to his pupil. ‘The only thing to say is that it does come finally.’

In the wake of Madonna's success, many dance-pop divas filled the charts, but out of them all, Paula Abdul was the only one who sustained a career. The former L.A. Lakers cheerleader and choreographer scored her first hit in 1989, when "Straight Up" shot to Billboard's number one spot, becoming the first of four U.S. chart-toppers from her 1988 debut, Forever Your Girl; the others were "Forever Your Girl," "Cold Hearted," and "Opposites Attract," each earning a gold certification from the RIAA. This success laid the groundwork for her second act as a judge on American Idol, the televised singing competition that began in 2002 and kept Abdul in the spotlight throughout the decade.

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer Paula Cole will release Lo, her first collection of entirely new, original songs in nearly a decade, on March 1, 2024. Today, Paula shares the first single from the album, "The Replacements & Dinosaur Jr.” - a heartfelt tribute to her friend and artistic mentor, Mark Hutchins, who left us too soon, aged 51. The song pays homage to Hutchins’ musical influences, spanning from The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. to The Beatles, XTC, Daniel Lanois, and A Tribe Called Quest. This song, like the forthcoming album, beautifully blends vulnerability with joy, staying true to Paula's signature authentic and soul-stirring style.