THE CUSP OF MEETING. Courtney Hartman, a vocalist and instrumentalist based in Eau Claire, is ready to share her latest collection of songs with her community. With You, Hartman's third studio release, tells a story woven together by caregiving and mothering — co-written by other female “heroines” in her creative journey. (Photo by Michelle Bennett)

“All of the edges now are softening / see the light almost standing still for you,” Courtney Hartman croons in the unfolding of her latest record, With You.

The indelible musician — and northwestern Wisconsin transplant — will share her third studio release tomorrow, Nov. 14. Set to be unveiled with a golden-hour quality, With You is a story woven together by creativity and motherhood. Hartman’s emerging body of work pays homage to the female heroines and caregivers who embody these traits in their own lives.

The multi-year creation of With You marks a moment of complete surrender and a deep softening of Hartman’s heart, mind and body. Its arrival to listeners — following years of communal care, independent crowdfunding and collaboration — offers the truest gift of song; each track instills long, deliberate breaths between verse and chorus.

“To each and every one of the 557 friends who believed in this work and came alongside me to crowdfund the album long before it existed – With You wouldn’t be here without you,” Hartman said. “I am indebted and forever grateful.”

“Caregiving expands our heart’s capacity for empathy and that alone is a reason to make space for caregiver's voices in creativity and art.”

Courtney hartman

vocalist, songwriter, co-producer of with you

It began with a ‘Companion’

Writing With You was an “unfolding,” Hartman said. From the earliest fragments of songwriting, to recording sessions and intimate listening spaces, a series of impulses — or “intuition,” as she described — guided her through the process.

It was in quiet spaces, artist retreats and the nearing arrival of her first child to “earthside” in where Hartman ultimately welcomed the invitation to shape her music around this season of life. Mothering became a means to process, understand and perhaps even sanctify this experience for herself and others.

“With each (track), there were parts of me that were resistant to sharing something that felt really private and unknown,” Hartman shared. “It became very clear that I needed to just pause and write through the process of becoming a mother.”

That initial seed of thought, coupled with continual self-reflection, launched Hartman into the years-long creative journey toward With You.

The record’s foundation brought together a core group of collaborators from Hartman’s previous works, including Brian Joseph (mixing and mastering), Sean Carey (percussion, vocals and synths), Ben Lester (pedal steel) and Zoe Guigueno (bass). These individuals — along with numerous notable figures part of the Chippewa Valley music scene and beyond — embedded their own stories throughout the album.

The “core” of With You (pictured above) from left to right: Ben Lester, Zoe Guigueno, Courtney Hartman, Sean Carey and Brian Joseph. (Photo by Michelle Bennett)

Carey recalled the “little moments” shared with Hartman and those ensemble members in the recording studio; he described it as finding the group, or collective, you have always been searching for.

“That part is really special and not every record is made that way,” Carey said. “To track together and get inside the song, get a vibe (and) get a conversation going… when you listen back, you can feel that and hear that, which is really special.”

Carey said Hartman — a producer for With You — approached the entire record with the same thoughtfulness which characterizes her previous releases, including Glade and Ready Reckoner.

The initial recording sessions for the record’s title track, “With You,” began simply — with just Carey and Hartman together in a room. This quickly evolved as they began incorporating others into the creative process, which Hartman described as a winding blur of friendship and bright spaces to let new light in.

Motherhood’s invisible labors of love were soon unveiled through the connection, compassion and immediate understanding offered by those collaborators, she said.

“It felt so life-giving, to have these other women put their voices, thoughts and stories into the songs that I was making,” Hartman said.

Stories from ‘Inside and Outside’

Hartman’s songwriting process – a vulnerable one, more often than not – rooted itself in safety, thanks to her chosen family of fellow caregivers and folk musicians: Kristin Andreassen, Emily Frantz, Dawn Landes, Tift Merritt and Sarah Siskind, among others.

As with all of the album’s 13 tracks, the title track was enhanced by and took shape through the time Hartman spent welcoming her daughter into the world. 

“With You encompasses all of the different phases, or chapters of the album or (my) life seasons,” Hartman said. “(It represents) me with my daughter, but it was also the community here with me. With You felt like a much bigger ‘holding’ than just (my daughter) and I.”

Area musicians and caregivers brought new breadth to each of the record’s tracks through supporting vocal harmonies, including Sarah Elstran (The Nunnery), Sarah Krueger (Lanue), and reconnections with previous collaborators such as Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse, Phil Cook, Phoebe Hunt and Rachel Sermanni.

Emily Frantz of Watchhouse (pictured above) adds glimmers of string compositions to track 10, "Can You See," in the recording studio. (Photo by Michelle Bennett)

Such a pool of diverse talents brought more life into the evolving record, embodying a larger theme of the care and connection we find in our own communities, Hartman said.

“If this work inspires someone to welcome a side of themselves they have had to shut out in order to give care — and can help them be more whole — that would feel meaningful to me,” Hartman said. “Whether that is a sister, a stranger, or (my daughter) when she is in a different season of life.”

Track seven, “Everything At Once,” featuring Krueger and co-written with Siskind, explores these desires — and even internal conflict — amidst early motherhood. It conveys the simultaneous pull of contradictory desires: The need for solitude versus the longing for our precious companions or the wish for closeness alongside the urge to withdraw from others.

It felt so life-giving, to have these other women put their voices, thoughts and stories into the songs that I was making.

COURTNEY HARTMAN

“Having the opportunity to work on this song with Courtney was such a needed reminder that both our creative instincts and maternal instincts can exist in harmony,” Krueger said. “In fact, they often come from the same place... a place of vulnerability, a desire to connect and protect, and both help us find clarity in what we want to offer the world.

“As humans — and especially mothers — we can tap into the multitudes contained within our lived experience,” Kruger added. “We can feel it all, and that's ok.”

The title of Hartman's third release, With You, found its way to her as a whisper from the natural world as she walked beside a creek near her home, holding her daughter close. (Photo by Michelle Bennett)

The ‘Softening’

Hartman shared how her journey in motherhood has profoundly reframed her artistic identity and capacity for care in everyday life. This shift is reflected in With You and will continue to unfurl as the seasons of her life beckon new changes.

As heard in track nine, “Inside Outside” featuring Michaela Anne and co-written with Ana Egge, Hartman welcomes the possibility of knowing all of who her daughter is and will become.

The lyrics — “tell me why you tremble / tell me anything / pain is a storm that passes on / and fear has her own wings” — echo an anticipation of both the difficulties and curiosities they will encounter together.

The album cover art for With You (pictured above) was created by Claire Lindwall and depicts the connected hands of mother and child.

“Giving care to my daughter opened my heart towards other people in a season of needing care,” Hartman revealed. “I believe caregiving expands our heart’s capacity for empathy and that alone is a reason to make space for caregiver's voices in creativity and art.”

Anna Coffland, a close friend of Hartman’s who has personally witnessed Hartman’s role as a birth doula outside of her musical work, believes these messages extend beyond Hartman’s capacities as a songwriter — and are simply truths she carries through everyday life.

“(Courtney) is really curious in how others reflect on their life, she genuinely wants to learn from other people,” Coffland said. “She wants to help people reflect, but she also wants people to experience the value in slowing down.”

During an early listening session of With You, Coffland said the record allows a “softening” toward reflection, vulnerability and finding connection amidst those complex feelings. For Coffland, receiving music offers the opportunity for reflection, even if not directly related to parenthood and motherhood.

“That's when you are able to be vulnerable, that’s when you are able to reflect, that’s when you are able to feel connected to others and see the importance (in) that,” Coffland added.

Through her latest project and as a birth doula, Hartman exemplifies the invaluable relationships built among caregivers. These rich, powerful presences — whether found through songwriting, friendship or motherhood — were instrumental to achieve the sense of completion With You required before its own earthside debut.

The release show for Hartman’s latest project is set for Nov. 22 at the Manz Green Room within the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire). This live showcase will feature the core band, co-writer Siskind and special guests.

In October, Hartman welcomed friends, family and area musicians to an intimate listening session of the record — from top to bottom — at Hive recording studio. (Photo by Jordan Coffland)

The evening release show follows a year of intimate venue appearances where Hartman shared some deeply personal truths with small audiences.

“It'll be the first time a lot of these songs are going to be performed, especially with a full band,” Carey said. “It will be fresh and exciting — and maybe even nerve-racking — but that is a fun energy to witness and be a part of.”

Born from a particular series of significant life events — pregnancy, early labor, postpartum heaviness and the blooming of a new life — With You will continue charting a course of its own; through the challenging, miraculous, wrenching experiences that lead to a soothing of the heart and soul.

Whether experienced live or in a tranquil setting where one can fully relax and focus on breathwork — perhaps singing it to your own child while gently bobbing them to sleep — Hartman’s third record is likely to continue transforming and deepening with every listen.

“Figuring out how to allow these songs to make a wider conversation feels important to me,” Hartman said. “I wanted to show some complexity; I want to create an experience for someone to leave feeling seen and held, regardless of their life season or experience.”

With You by Courtney Hartman — and shaped by many friends — will be available to listen on Bandcamp, analog vinyl and streaming platforms on Nov. 14. For more information on Hartman’s journey through the record, crowdfunding and upcoming live performances, visit courtneyhartman.com.