Elizabeth Moen comes back to Iowa City to celebrate new album 'Wherever You Aren't'

Despite a laundry list of achievements — touring internationally, performing at festivals, songs featured in shows like Showtime’s “Shameless” — Iowa singer-songwriter Elizabeth Moen has never headlined at Gabe’s Iowa City.

Moen, now living in Chicago, is returning to Iowa City for a homecoming of sorts at the local performance venue Saturday night with a launch show for her new album “Wherever You Aren’t,” which was released on Nov. 11.

“Iowa City is extremely important to me,” she said. “It's where everything started and it's with some of these people in the band that I played my first shows and did my first tours, did my first full band kind of things.”

She’ll be joined by local musicians and former bandmates Elly "Penny Peach" Hofmaier, Blake Shaw, Dan Padley and David Hurlin — or as Moen affectionately dubbed the crew, the Iowa City “all-star squad.”

The self-taught guitarist with a soulful, distinctive voice performed earlier this year in Iowa City as part of Mission Creek Festival.

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‘Wherever You Aren’t’ is 10 tracks of life lessons and personal growth

“Wherever You Aren’t” was written over the course of Moen’s twenties while she was touring. The first track, “Headgear,” was released in 2019, the same year her submission to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest was recognized as a favorite submission.

A lot of the songs are about learning things the hard way she said, from dealing with mental health, pursuing relationships or handling breakups. Moen pulls from both personal experiences and the experiences she sees her loved ones go through.

“I'm definitely still learning the hard way here and there,” Moen said. “But I've definitely grown since I wrote those songs, but it was definitely through those experiences and through writing those songs that I was able to grow.”

The singer is still making mistakes, she said, and still learning things the hard way, but in different ways.

Songs off “Wherever You Aren’t” like “Where’s My Bike” and “Ex’s House Party” explore the challenges of early adulthood through the lens of different relationships.

Parents, lovers and friends all make an appearance, especially in the former of the two songs.

“‘Where's My Bike’ is about this post college existential crisis where I'm living in my parents’ house and I'm back in their guest room,” she said.

“They downsized after I graduated, so I'm in my parents’ apartment’s guestroom (thinking) like what the hell am I doing with my life and that I'm also thinking about some friends of mine who are kind of in a similar situation where we're all just like, ‘What are we doing? What is happening?’”

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Working on an album over the course of a few years means Moen revisits her songs at different stages in her life.

For example, “Soft Serve,” is a love song. She wrote it while she was in the beginnings of a relationship. But she wasn’t in the honeymoon phase when she finished the song, so she chose to take inspiration from her friends’ relationships.

These instances are either opportunities to tap back into what she was experiencing and feeling when she wrote that song and stay true to it, or adjust it to reflect where she’s currently at.

The album, a blend of indie, country sounds, is about personal growth. A lot of growing, Moen said, is seeing people and relationships for what they are. It’s about learning not to put your expectations on others or on situations.

“Even in that reciprocation of really seeing each other, it still cannot work out but at least you at least you really tried… the truth can suck, but at least you see it,” she said.

Like so many artists, Moen found herself working amid a global pandemic, tracking vocals and overdubs from across America, Canada and Ireland, according to a press release. She had to cancel dozens and dozens of performances.

The Vinton native wrote her first songs while she was attending the University of Iowa, quickly becoming a familiar name both locally and beyond.

It’s understandable considering Moen’s impressive vocals paired with her often vulnerable, and relatable, songwriting skills.

That’s on full display in “Wherever You Aren’t.”

“This album has shown me that I have the capacity to grow,” she said in a press release. “I’ve grown as a songwriter, guitarist and person. Through hard times and good times, I’ve learned a lot about life. To not give up on growing or loving is the most I can do and hope to always try to.”

Visit the Englert Theatre’s website to purchase tickets for Moen’s album release party held at Gabe's. The show starts at 9 p.m.

Listen to “Wherever You Aren’t” on streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Elizabeth Moen to bring soulful sound to Gabe's in Iowa City Saturday