Listening through Lara Ruggles‘ new album Anchor Me, you inevitably hear not only her personal stories but also a bit of where she grew up. Raised 40 miles outside Tucson on a 7-acre property surrounded by cattle ranches, Lara’s songwriting is steeped in the quiet isolation she felt during those formative years. This rural solitude shaped her early musical explorations, lending her work a raw, reflective quality. After almost a decade spent in Denver’s folk scene, she returned to Tucson in 2016, drawn back to her roots and a sound she’d begun to leave behind.
Lara’s journey as an artist has been defined by shifts—geographical, emotional, and creative. Her new record, Anchor Me, marks a personal return, one where she examines relationships as they evolve over time. “This album represents a return to myself in a way,” she shares, hinting at a rediscovery not just of her voice but of her identity. On this record, Lara uncovers moments of love gained and lost, intimacy rediscovered, and the resilience needed to keep growing through it all. After spending years experimenting with her Sharkk Heartt project, which embraced electro-pop anthems, she found herself returning to the vulnerability and simplicity of folk music. This stripped-back style allowed her to channel her deepest reflections into songs that capture both the quiet ache of solitude and the warmth of connection.
Her time touring with poet Andrea Gibson from 2018 to 2020 sparked a pivotal collaboration, inspiring Lara to dive deeper into her lyrical openness. Working with producer Steve Varney, they recorded most of Anchor Me in just three days on Gregory Alan Isakov’s farm, a place whose rustic calm seeped into the album’s atmosphere. With Emmy-winning composer Tyler Sabbag adding subtle percussion and Steven Tracy finalizing the production, Lara created an album that feels expansive yet deeply personal. “I’m ready to put something a little more intimate and personal out there,” she reflects, “and I don’t have everything in my world riding on whether or not this album breaks even or allows me to make a decent living. It’s freeing.”
With Anchor Me, Lara Ruggles invites listeners to join her as she uncovers the lessons etched into her own story. It’s a space where loss and love coexist, where returning to oneself brings peace, and where being brave enough to let go can lead to something new. It’s the kind of truth that’s easy to grasp in theory, yet rarely voiced so openly in life—especially when sung.
header photograpy by Kevin Hainline
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