If you show up for Alicia Witt, she’ll show up for you. And she proves it with stirring sincerity on “Witness,” a musical pledge of allegiance that also happens to be as immaculate a piece of pop balladry as you’ll hear this decade.
The song finds Witt in a grateful mood, offering thanks to somebody who’s stood by her through thick and thin and declaring that the feeling is wholly mutual. The track’s stately, processional rhythm nudges the exquisitely precise piano and guitar along as Witt’s supple voice proposes a never-ending pact, criss-cross style:
Will you be my witness?
I held on when the mountains moved
You shared my sentence
Stood strong and you saw me through
God knows that you’re my living proof
Call you to testify the truth, whenever I miss it
Yeah, you’re my witness, and I’ll be your witness too
“Witness” is the title track to Witt’s most recent EP, a six-song collection that cements her triple-threat status as a world-class vocalist, clever tunesmith and competition-winning piano prodigy. Her 2021 album, The Conduit, yielded the hit “Chasing Shadows,” which spent five weeks in the top 30 of the Billboard AC Radio Chart — a milestone in a career that’s included several well-received EPs and full-length releases that have showcased her creative vision while making room for production help from heavy hitters like Ben Folds. And that’s not to mention a performance schedule that’s taken Witt everywhere from The Grand Ole Opry to TV’s The Masked Singer.
But if you watch the suitably intimate and emotional music video for “Witness” and can’t shake the feeling you’ve seen her somewhere else, the possibilities are legion. As an actor, Witt has been working steadily since the age of 7, when David Lynch cast her in his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. She’s since appeared on Lynch’s Twin Peaks (both iterations) while racking up a list of industry credits that’s the definition of “voluminous.” She was Cybill Shepherd’s TV daughter for four seasons, and other programs she’s appeared on run the gamut from The Sopranos to The Walking Dead to Justified.
On the big screen, she’s been seen in high-profile releases like Two Weeks’ Notice, Last Holiday, and Mr. Holland’s Opus; her latest, the Nicolas Cage thriller Longlegs, hits theaters this July. Among her stage work was the lead in Neil LaBute’s Reasons to Be Pretty at the Geffen Playhouse. In addition, she’s been a familiar face in Christmas movies, often performing her original songs in a true case of artistic synergy.
Oh, and did we mention she’s the author of Small Changes, a guide to sustainable living and diet? Forget “triple threat” … we’re up to six or seven now.
But at this particular moment, it’s all about the music, and giving back to the fans who have made her the cross-media sensation she most surely is. The apparently tireless Witt has livestreams and concert performances booked through June in the U.S. and Canada, along with meet-and-greets that’ll put her in direct contact with the fervent and wide-ranging fanbase she owes so much. Come to bear “Witness” … and then watch what happens.
Alicia Witt Tour Dates:
March 21, 2024: Hugh’s Room, Toronto, ON
March 22, 2024: The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
June 8, 2024: City Winery, Boston, MA
June 29, 2024: The Triple Door, Seattle, WA
