Brooklyn-based artist Lindsay Powell, commonly known as Fielded, invites all of their friends to the party that is their new album Plus One. The tracklist is a venerable who’s who of underground superstars, most of whom are related to the Backwoodz record label Powell is currently signed to. That imprint is run by billy woods, and woods is on such an improbably brilliant run that any artist he co-signs is worth a listen—but many in these circles have been singing Fielded’s praises for years. For the uninitiated, now is your chance to catch up.
The project features woods, Kenny Segal, Fatboi Sharif, DJ Haram, ELUCID, They Hate Change, and many more. While the cast of characters helps establish the narrative and sonic thrust of the record, Fielded makes it very clear that it’s their show throughout Plus One. “I’ve offered myself in blips and breaths and moments, sighing under a powerful lyric, or punctuating another vocalist’s breakthrough performance,” Powell noted in a press release. “We wanted to see what could happen when I brought those same artists in to add flourishes to my visions and depth to my stories.” The result is nothing short of masterful.
With the LP out today, Powell walked us through each of its 14 tracks, sharing how many of the collaborations were long overdue, nearly telepathic, and/or will surely beget more collaborative projects in the future.
1. “Windbreaker” (feat. billy woods, prod. by Locust)
i wrote my verse and the chorus for “Windbreaker” separately from woods. we somehow came together in our theme—we definitely talked about it being quite a coincidence and sort of chilling. This might be my favorite woods/Fielded collaboration besides “Western Education Is Forbidden.” We’re both intense artists who can perhaps connect deeply to the paranoia that comes with emotional intelligence and living a life that isn’t considered that of the beaten path.
2. “Afternoon Sun” (feat. Felicia Douglass, prod. by Kenny Segal)
This track was titled “Afternoon Sun” from the jump; I asked Kenny if we might keep the name because the vibe of Felicia and I’s melodies just felt so uplifting and energizing. This track makes me think of getting out of work, getting in your car to drive home, and blasting your favorite song while the sun is still warm. It feels young, light, unstoppable. I like thinking about moments of freedom with songs that contribute to that feeling.
3. “Take Me There” (feat. Teether, prod. by Child Actor)
I wrote this song about my “custies” from when I worked as a cam domme and phone sex operator pretty incessantly for just under a year. I was trying to save some money and make sure I could afford to go into the studio with Willie Green for the forthcoming Fielded album (TBA). I wanted Teether on it because there’s something both buttery smooth and jarring about his rhymes—which is a lot like the mood of sex work, to be honest.
4. “You Chasing Me” (prod. by Child Actor)
This one is about reply guys. Stop DMing me hearts and drooly faces, bro! I am literally never going to respond.
5. “The Way It Is” (feat. Pink Navel, prod. by Kenny Segal)
For me, this track holds a certain feeling of stillness after the ending of repeating loops of codependency and pathological behavior; that moment when you’re finally present with yourself and reflecting on a whirlwind, the moment between loss and gain. This might be my personal favorite. I loved working with Pink Navel, and I loved tapping into a fully non-binary lyrical perspective with them.
6. “I Saw You” (feat. PremRock, prod. by Fines Double)
I feel like Prem and I came together on “I Saw You” with a common mood of calling someone on their bullshit. I wrote this song with visuals of an old world swirling in my mind, a time of extreme measures being taken in the face of betrayal. However, after all is said and done, it is what it is. Cycles keep us moving and time brings us new disappointments to unravel and (rarely) solve. What’s sweet to me is that Prem is one of the funniest guys I know, and I love that he tapped into his emotional vulnerability for this one.
7. “Honeysuckle” (feat. Fatboi Sharif, prod. by DJ Haram)
Haram brought the heat on this one. I was envisioning what it might be like to be an evil nymph reminiscent of a siren on the Aegean Sea but tucked into the twisted, haunted forest of Sharif’s mind. She lures and seduces and takes what she wants. We created our own mini horror film. I knew this one was for Sharif right from the jump just because I know he loves films in general, but horror specifically.
8. “Dream Interlude” (prod. by Child Actor)
If anyone can decode this poem I’ll give them a writing credit.
9. “Goddess Woes” (feat. Wolf Weston, prod. by Child Actor)
To be blunt, “Goddess Woes” is about being sick and tired of being a femme-presenting person in the music industry. I identify as non-binary, but for many years I considered myself a “woman in music” and was constantly compared and disregarded against other female artists as well as made to feel like there wasn’t enough room for all of us. It’s no secret we’re working twice as hard for half as much. We want respect, period. Wolf really picked up the baton of my lyrical themes and ran with them, making the song her own.
10. “Waves” (feat. ELUCID, prod. by The Lasso)
I didn’t know ELUCID was going to be on this track when I wrote it, but his presence works so well with the vibe I’m trying to capture. The song is about an almost cult-like following of someone who is smooth, complex, dystopian, charismatic. I’m both recognizing we’re on the same level but wanting to be taught their ways and their philosophies—wanting to be cooler, more like them. And who doesn’t want to be more like ELUCID?!
11. “Freakyextendooooo” (feat. They Hate Change, prod. by ELUCID)
Honestly, I’m just here for support! They Hate Change ate and left no crumbs over a wild and sonically extreme track produced by ELUCID. They Hate Change and I were both on the same label back when I released Drip, Drip in 2018 (right before I cold emailed woods and ELUCID about collaborating). I knew from the moment I listened to their work that I wanted to collaborate with them at some point. I love their energy and style and I’m so stoked for all the work to come.
12. “Move It Like” (feat. A. Billi Free, prod. by The Lasso)
I feel like A. Billi Free and I are just having a lot of fun on “Move It Like.” It originally existed without her, but then I got the idea and had Lasso add some space for her presence. It’s about loving, fucking, dancing, living in the moment. Lasso produced “Waves” and “Move It Like”—I met him through ELUCID and hope to make an album with him soon. He really knows how to bring out the sensuality of a beat and he’s one of the most fun people to talk about music with, full stop.
13. “Where I Came From” (feat. Fat Tony, prod. by Fines Double)
Fat Tony is quite candid in his verse on this one—he honestly took me aback with his vulnerability. I wrote my parts in grief; feeling hopeless, lost, non-existent in some ways. Sometimes I just want to give up in all the ways. My mental health is something I try to be honest about. It’s not easy being human. I’m bipolar II and struggle with anxiety and the world can be overwhelming—add in the parts of you that want to be seen but can never be understood and everything can feel quite pointless.
14. “Worlds Away” (feat. billy woods, prod. by Steel Tipped Dove)
“You’re worlds away from whatever, man.” You are important, you matter, you’re sacred. Keep your cool and keep moving. I met Steel Tipped Dove through woods back in 2019, and we’ve been talking about collaborating ever since. We’ve also been trying to record a podcast episode together for a while, but every time we hang we end up a little drunk and a little stoned and three hours go by without us remembering to hit record. C’est la vie!
