[Cover photo credit to Olivia Light]

Lafayette, Louisiana-based, but Bergen, Norway-born-and-raised Irena Eide is also known as Rainy Eyes. She has announced her second studio album, Lonesome Highway, to be released July 12, 2024 on Royal Potato Family. The collection was produced by Roots musician and Producer Dirk Powell and features contributions by Sam Grisman, Ric Robertson, Chris Stafford and Eric Adcock among others.

Rainy Eyes will unveil material from the album when she performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this Friday, April 26th, 2024 while the first single and title track, along with its accompanying video, is out now.

The 11 songs on Lonesome Highway reflect on Rainy’s circumstances as she wrote the record, while ultimately resulting in “perseverance and perspective.” Some of her experiences reflected on the album include a troubled family life, leaving home at 17, moving to San Francisco and eloping at a young age, having a child, and finding herself in a toxic relationship.

Rainy says:

Songwriting became my therapy. It was basically how I dealt with the pain and the trauma. The music helped me heal. This album is about how I had to help myself. To take that pain and use it. For it not to destroy me, but to make me who I am.

Relocating to Louisiana, Rainy forged a collaboration with Lafayette musician and producer, Dirk Powell. They worked on the album in Powell’s studio on the bayou and Powell called on trusted musicians to round out the songs.

RAINY EYES
Tour Dates

4/26 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
5/1 – Lafayette, LA – Park Bistro
5/2 – Hattiesburg, MS – Downtown Grill and Grocery
5/3 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley *
5/4 – Asheville, NC – Highland Brewing Company
6/22 – Gallup, NM – Levitt Pavillion
6/23 – Santa Fe, NM – El Rey Court

* w/ Larry Campbell & Theresa Williams