Who Is Lydia Loveless

Director Gorman Bechard believes in rock and roll; he's been proving it on screen since his fan-centric Replacements documentary COLOR ME OBSESSED. Follow-ups on the Archers of Loaf and Husker Du's Grant Hart (EVERY EVERYTHING) respectively captured the power of live performance and the intricacies of a creative mind. Bechard's latest does both, while tackling a complicated question: "Who is Lydia Loveless?" Rather than taking a reverent look back at an established artist, Bechard's new film serves as an introduction of sorts to a musical life in progress, diving deep into the evolving career of the gloriously talented Loveless and the bandmates alongside her. Lydia and company may be on a familiar and oft-repeated journey-from tour van to rock club to recording studio and repeat-but theirs is a singular vision thanks to the genuine, honest, and charismatic woman at the wheel. Though the movie spends some time on Loveless's past, from her musical upbringing to her younger days in family-filled bands, it's focus is on the now: recent footage from a fierce, frenetic live show mixes with a revealing peek inside the studio as the quintet works on their next record. Interspersed are candid interviews touching on issues that many bands face, including the tricky economics of being a working musician, dealing with piracy and bad YouTube videos, and sexism in modern-day music media. Lydia's blunt, incisive responses and her band's special take on what she calls "indie-alt-country" may help answer the question posed by the title, but you'll leave wanting to hear more songs and find out for sure.