Rebekah Gilbert: “Somebody Else’s House”

Today, March 28, sees the release of Rebekah Gilbert’s new single, “Somebody Else’s House.” The song is a fine introduction to her upcoming EP, Secret Keeper.

The Americana track, accompanied by a new music video, tells the story of a Southern moonshiner who ran illicit hooch to support a secret second family. Driven by a darkly accented acoustic and sneering electric guitar slide, the Southern Gothic folk song was inspired by a real-life bootlegger rooted to Gilbert’s own family tree.

Birmingham’s Rebekah Gilbert first learned of the hidden history in college while researching genealogy. Her father mentioned a generations-old family story about a moonshiner who raised a second family miles down the road from the first. “We went to visit my great-grandmother who told us some fascinating stories about that man,” she says. “My impression was that he was a harsh man with a short temper.”

Gilbert’s new single is about much more than moonshine, however. As the songwriter mulled the situation in her head, she also found herself reflecting on a separate conversation.

“This family story, combined with a discussion I’d had with a homeless gentleman, led me to explore the idea that you never know what someone else is experiencing,” she says. “People carry secrets and shame and fight internal battles more than they’re often willing to share. Many of those secrets, shame, and battles link back to cycles that have been passed down through generations. And as described in the bridge of the song, one day you’ll eventually face down the truth, and you have to decide whether you want to break the cycle or continue it. Are you going to sweep it under the rug and pretend everything is fine, or are you going to bring it out into the open and deal with it?”

While “Somebody Else’s House” has personal origins unique to Gilbert’s family and experience, she enlisted the help of songwriter Amanda Williams to co-write the song. She wanted to work with both the family history and the conversation about internal battles, and turned to her former musical mentor to help her bring it all together.

“Thankfully, she saw a way to merge the two stories into one theme,” says Gilbert. “Sometimes a co-writer can see a way forward when I’m struggling to make it work. Amanda is known for her honest lyrics, and she brought exactly the right vibe, lyrically and musically, for this song! It was a quick write, and the song was complete within two hours.”

From start to finish, Secret Keeper delves into dreams, generational cycles, addictions, and other secrets while showing how it all impacts our relationships. “Every song has a bit of lyrical darkness with the end goal being a truth teller,” says Gilbert. “I felt it was important to bring to light the things we’re sometimes afraid to say out loud.”

Gilbert likens the EP’s sound to a blend of Margo Price and Miranda Lambert, with a tonal ebb and flow to match the march through passionate and at times challenging themes. “There are songs that’ll make you tap your toes and sing along,” she says, “and there are songs that are likely to resonate so strongly that they’ll bring tears to your eyes.”

Gilbert recorded Secret Keeper at Sun Drop Sound Studio, John Paul White’s own studio in Florence. Nicole Witt produced the EP. Expect Secret Keeper to release later this year.