Heather Maloney's new album, Exploding Star, was never meant to be released. Written after the death of her father, the songs were the most vulnerable work she had ever created - intended and written solely for herself. The idea of releasing an album went against her instinct to keep this art close to her. Fortunately for us, her family convinced her otherwise. Maloney was able to record for 2 days in her childhood home - capturing songs, harmonies, the crickets in the yard, and even percussion played directly on the walls and floors of the house itself. Maloney also played her father's guitar and a keyboard she had since childhood. The result is raw and delightfully personal, a collection of twelve songs written urgently at the time to help ease the "greatest sorrow" of Maloney's life, but which are now happily and transcendentally ours as well.