When asked by the Los Angeles Times if stepping back from country music meant “the libs have been owned,” Maren responded, “I’m sure some people may think that. And I would say, ‘Feel free. Go ahead.'”
She continued, “I don’t want to have an adversarial relationship to country music. I still find myself weirdly wanting to protect it. But it’s not a family member. That’s the f–ked-up part, is that I’m talking about it as if it’s a person, but it’s not.”
The Bridge, which also contains the track “Get the Hell Out of Here,” reflects her growing disillusion with country.
“These songs are obviously the result of that—the aftermath of walking away from something that was really important to you and the betrayal that you felt very righteously,” she noted. “But also knowing there’s a thread of hope as you get to the other side.”
And her new song “The Tree” appears to reflect that hope.
I’ll never stop growin’,” she sings on the track, “wherever I’m goin’ / Hope I’m not the only one.”