Suzanna Choffel’s voice is the kind that lingers. It’s at once resonant and warm—powerful even as it pleads. Her pipes have served her well in her career—her sophomore album, 2012’s Steady Eye Shaky Bow, won Best Album at the Independent Music Awards—and on her forthcoming release, Hello Goodbye, it shines as she spans genres, letting her voice and her songwriting tell a story that veers from mournful to celebratory over the album’s eleven tracks.
“Go Forth,” which premieres exclusively below, is a steady beat of classic alt-rock, with vocal melodies soaring above rhythmic guitars, pulsing drums, and ringing piano chords in a style that might not sound out of place on an album from Sarah McLachlan or Aimee Mann.
Hello Goodbye doesn’t stick to one genre, though. Some songs have light reggae undertones, and others lean heavily on Choffel’s bluesy influences, or serve up stompy bubblegum pop—but “Go Forth” is a personal track that required a deft, serious touch.
“When I sat down to write this song, it was one of those rare times when the melody and words of the chorus just kind of came to me immediately,” Choffel says. “It just flowed effortlessly. I had been thinking a lot lately how indecision so often paralyzes you, and how you can’t let the fear of making the wrong choice stop you from making a choice. Strangely enough, I found out a few days later I was pregnant. My daughter has been so calm and fearless since day one, sometimes I think it was she who really wrote the song.”
