Waxahatchee

“Tigers Blood” continues down a similar stylistic path. Crutchfield’s rock roots are especially apparent on tunes like “Ice Cold” and “Bold,” which have crisp tempos and bright and catchy guitar work to go with Crutchfield’s melodic vocals, while “Evil Spawn,” and “Crowbar” are more measured in their energy and rootsier in their overall feel. “Burns Out at Midnight,” “Crimes of the Heart” and “Right Back to It,” meanwhile, take things in an even more easygoing and folky direction, with the first two songs anchored by acoustic guitar, while the latter tune incorporates touches of banjo and backing vocals from MJ “Jake” Lenderman.

Crutchfield and Cook initially weren’t sure what shape the follow-up album to “Saint Cloud” should take. But things came together when Crutchfield and Cook brought in singer/songwriter Lenderman to play guitar and sing on “Right Back to It,” and everyone agreed he needed to play guitar in the studio band on the entire album.

“I didn’t know it (“Right Back to It”) was special until we kind of found the instrumentation,” she said. “Then I think we were all really excited and we’re kind of like this is something we should try to anchor the whole album around. It was the first time we really hit on something where we were like ‘This might be the thing’ … And then, of course, when Jake sang with us and sang with me (on “Right Back to It”), that was, when we heard that, we were like ‘OK, this is something special.”

It’s not just the music that has aligned in a good way for Crutchfield during the past five-plus years. As she mentioned, before making “Saint Cloud,” she decided to quit drinking.

“I really feel like everything in my life got better when I quit,” she said. “I’m a lucky person in that I’ve gotten nothing but good signals from the universe that that’s what was supposed to happen. If I just keep not drinking, good things are coming my way and, you know, happiness is coming my way and ... reaching these new creative milestones, that’s coming my way.”

Another turning point was a move from her adopted home of Philadelphia to the Kansas City, Missouri, area to live with fellow singer-songwriter Kevin Morby in a committed relationship.

Morby is playing Shaky Knees, too; his set is scheduled immediately after hers on a different stage at the festival.

“It’s been great,” Crutchfield said. “I think Kevin, he challenges me in a way that I think is good and keeps me on my toes and keeps me kind of like present. He’s obviously a brilliant songwriter in his own right, so it’s really nice. We keep each other kind of excited to keep working on stuff. I’m able to really be independent and enjoy my autonomy while still having the full love and support of a partner. It’s been great.”