Phoebe Bridgers’ new album, Lost Weekend, arrived on Friday (August 14), and the album’s credits have revealed a bumper cast of guitarists across its 16 tracks.
Fans have already homed in on the fact that Godflesh guitarist Justin Broadrick is a surprise guest star on Bobby and Best Dressed, with Bridgers seemingly taking her love of metal beyond her B.C. Rich collection alone.
However, Broadrick has since clarified on his socials that she approached him about his shoegaze/post-metal side-project, Jesu, rather than his industrial outfit.
But that collab only scratches the surface. Alongside spots from super-producer Jack Antonoff and her Boygenius bandmates, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, there are plenty of surprises in store.
Other guitarists include regular Bridgers sideman Harrison Whitford – the son of Aerosmith riffer Brad – American Football’s Mike Kinsella, and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Recording veteran Greg Leisz plays pedal steel on six tracks, and Blake Mills, who has previously worked with Bob Dylan, Perfume Genius, and Beck, provides synth guitar on the opening track, The Outside, as well as other bass and guitar contributions across the record.
Adding to that is Bridgers’ protégé Christian Lee Hutson, indie-folk session guitarist Meg Duffy (War on Drugs, Perfume Genius), and Alex G. Bridgers herself plays across the album, too – despite a gardening accident that changed the way she approaches the instrument.
Looking closer still at the album’s credits reveals that baritone guitars are as preeminent as acoustic and standard-scale electric guitars.
All those factors conspire to make Lost Weekend one of the most eclectic lineups of guitarists in years.
Bridgers went one step further on Jimmy Fallon, as her live band featured a host of exciting young talents. A Joe Bonamassa- and Slash-backed shredder was the pick of the bunch.
According to Chart Data, Bridgers’ third album, and first since 2020’s The Punisher, accumulated over 13.8 million streams across its first full day on Spotify.
Speaking to Guitar World, Harrison Whitford reflected on his experience working with the 32-year-old songstress.
“Playing with her taught me how it feels to situate oneself within great songs,” he said. “She’s a fantastic rhythm guitar player, and I’ve always attempted to complement that.”
