Lari's Road to Redemption

The Brazillain guitarist on the thrills of her new album - and playing guitar to her newborn son

- BY GREGORY ADAMS

ON THE SURFACE, Redemption feels like a curious name for Lari Basilio's latest and unendingly dynamic instrumental album. The Brazilian-born, Houston-based guitarist's third full-length once again finds the virtuoso finessing her fretboard with a fluidly funky, percussively harmonic-popping fingerstyle akin to the work on her 2022 full-length, Your Love. Gain-surged rockers like "Dear D" and "Just Like Home" are likewise ripe with the kinds of jubilantly screaming leads she brought to 2019's Joe Satriani-featuring Far More. No vindication necessary - her playing remains impeccable and on-point.

As Basilio explains to Guitar World, the "redemption moment" through the making of her new album was more behind-the-scenes and personal.

It's the eve before Basilio releases Redemption's ballad-like, yet vivaciously vibrato-coursing title cut onto streamers, but likewise a couple of days after the official announcement of another bundle of joy - her newborn son, Liam. The album, Basilio says, was steered and inspired by the "formation of a new life," this reflected through Redemption pieces "Heartbeat" and "New Chapter." That said, the record also marks a second chance at motherhood for Basilio, following difficult and tragic circumstances.

"It's been an emotional journey for me. When I started writing these songs for this album, I found out I was pregnant — [but] that first pregnancy didn't progress, unfortunately. So I had to deal with this miscarriage when I was writing this song," she says in relation to first single "Redemption," adding that she turned to playing music to process the profound sadness she'd been facing. "Of course, guitar has always helped me in any phase of my life, but especially in this moment. I think music is always a great way to find joy and happiness."

Seeking salvation through songcraft, Basilio reteamed with her