‘Blame It On Me’ arrives August 1 with the premiere of a companion concert film, vinyl release and an evening celebrating the creative community behind North Texas music.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Most musicians celebrate a new album with a release party. Fort Worth singer-songwriter Kerri Lick made a movie instead.
On Saturday, August 1, Lick will premiere the companion concert film for her new album, Blame It On Me, during an exclusive watch party at Llama House Studio in Fort Worth. The evening will bring together musicians, venue owners, producers, industry professionals and fans for an event that’s equal parts live performance, film premiere and celebration of the collaborative spirit driving North Texas’ independent music scene.
The event begins with a networking social hour, followed by a live performance by singer-songwriter Hannah Owens, and concludes with the premiere of the concert film — an intimate live performance of all 10 songs from Blame It On Me. It’s exactly the kind of event Lick hoped to create when she realized her newest record deserved more than a traditional rollout. “I needed it to live longer than just a year,” Lick said. “I wanted to give fans a different experience with these songs.”
Recorded in Dripping Springs with producer Pat Manske, Blame It On Me is a 10-song collection rooted in what Lick describes as “honky swamp,” front porch soul infused with country blues. The album traces a deep personal journey of accountability, resilience, and redemption. “It’s a collection of songs that came from a chapter where I was really trying to take back some of my power,” Lick said. “‘These are my mistakes. These are what I learned from them. Blame it on me so that I can use that to grow and heal from. That’s really what this record is about.” After completing the studio album, Lick decided to make an entirely new version of the project, not in another recording studio but live on camera.
Inside Llama House Studio, Lick reunited with longtime collaborator and engineer Clint Kirby, producer Pat Manske, Dallas filmmaker Lee Kounas, and Creative Director Taylor Ashlynn to capture every song in a single-take performance. Taylor, who recently completed the floral contract for the FIFA World Cup, brought the same creative vision and attention to detail to the film that she has become known for in her floral design work.
Unlike a traditional studio session, there’s no stopping or punching in vocals. “There aren’t second takes,” Lick said. “You see the emotion exactly as it happened. That’s what I wanted people to experience.” The result is a companion film that offers audiences an entirely different perspective on the album, stripped down, intimate and emotionally honest. “We wanted to give the fans a new experience,” Lick said. “It’s all live. It’s all different versions of the songs. I wanted people to experience the music in another way.”
The August 1 event also marks the arrival of Lick’s first vinyl pressing of Blame It On Me, produced locally through Hand Drawn Records. Fans who preordered the album will be among the first to receive their copies during the celebration. Joining the evening is Fort Worth-based Martin House Brewing Company, which will be serving one of its signature craft beers during the event. Beyond the music, the evening reflects a philosophy that has shaped Lick’s career and become central to the Fort Worth music community. “A lot of artists won’t ask because they’re afraid someone might say no,” Lick said. “But most of the time people want to work together. People want to say yes.”
For Lick, nearly every milestone surrounding Blame It On Me, from recording the companion film to organizing its premiere, was built on collaboration, with musicians, filmmakers, local businesses and friends coming together to create something that extends beyond a traditional album release. “I want fans to know an unveiled, unfiltered version of this project so they can have a more honest, closer relationship to the songs, if they want it,” Lick said.
