Robyn Ottolini welcomes listeners into her magical world on A Safe Place To Land. The 13-track debut album serves as a reintroduction to the country singer-songwriter, who first turned heads in 2020 with her breakthrough single “F-150.” Success from the viral hit, which amassed more than 160 million streams, allowed Ottolini to quit her barista job after signing a major-label deal. 

 

Six years later, Ottolini returns on her own terms. The now-independent artist poured her heart, soul, and elbow grease into the innovative new project, produced by friend and collaborator Lenny Pey, allowing for her unique vision of “whimsical blue-collar” to be showcased on everything – from her songwriting and immersive music videos to her hand-sewn outfits and free-spirited album artwork. 

 

The rising artist, who prides herself on creating an eco-friendly and sustainable wardrobe from family hand-me-downs and thrifted materials, grew up on a dead-end country road in Canada. She fondly recalls running through the forest barefoot and climbing trees with the neighborhood kids. Her childhood soundtrack was a mix of Disney, Hannah Montana, and ’90s country female trailblazers like Faith Hill, Sara Evans, and The Chicks. 

 

“For my debut album, I really wanted to bring that sense of wonder and fearlessness that I had as a kid,” the 31-year-old explains.

 

While stories of bad first dates (“Airplane Bottle”), growth (“God Knows I Try”, “Unfamiliar Heaven”) and heartache (“If Hell Were A Bar”) are peppered throughout A Safe Place To Land, so are heartwarming tales of love (“Wranglin’ The Wind”), and the fear of losing it (“Before My Dog”). The anthemic “Wranglin’ The Wind” details a relationship that keeps you close by letting you run wild, while the confessional “God Knows I Try” serves as a thematic tentpole of self-acceptance to the album.

 

“I’m capable of more than I thought,” Ottolini says. “I learned to trust my vision. I love knowing what I want, knowing what I don’t want, and that comes with age and growing up and growing down.”