Squirrel Flower says her new single “Wheels,” which features Babehoven and Billie Marten, was inspired by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris’ 1987 “Trio” album. “I wanted to write a song that really let my voice shiiiiine, and the final vocal take is the original scratch take, sleepy and loose,” she says. “Maya and Billie recorded their angel harmonies remotely and perfectly. Inspired by a gas station attendant a couple years ago telling me ‘may your wheels stay on the ground.’”
Recorded live at 12 AM in a makeshift studio in Door County, WI, the collaborative single captures the ever-present beautiful uncertainty of life on the road. With a classic sound and warm Rhodes piano from Free Range’s Sofia Jensen, the track is anchored by Williams, Marten, and Maya Bon (Babehoven), whose voices intertwine in harmonies that swell with an almost choir-like brilliance.
Speaking about the song’s creation and inspiration, Williams shared the following story:
“While on tour a couple years ago, a gas station attendant said to us, ‘may your wheels stay on the ground.’ I thought that was so beautiful + it inspired the song while driving through a harrowing snowstorm between Boston and the Hudson Valley in February 2025. I had my Townes Van Zandt live cd playing, and sang this song into my phone mic while listening to Townes, dodging ice on the highway. I really wanted to write a song that let my voice shine in a way that my heavier songs don’t always allow. I got to the Babehoven house in Hudson and played it for Maya. She wrote a stanza (“you said you wanted/something i don’t/i am always coming/just as you go”), helping me finish off the song.
This summer, Squirrel Flower will hit the road solo alongside The Beths and Spoon, for what will be a jam packed June.
The Fat Angel Sings 