The Mojo of Music featuring Mother Coyote

In an industry where artists are often urged to stay in their lane, singer-songwriter Andriana Lehr with her new moniker Mother Coyote, has made her lane a wide -open prairie of transformation and self-expression. With her black-on-black aesthetic softening into earthy tones running parallel to her songs evolving from Americana into esoteric alt-pop, Mother Coyote is in the midst of an artistic and personal journey. It’s clear that when she steps on stage, every thread she wears, like every lyric she sings, is a spell of her own casting. 

Lehr’s earliest memories of clothing are tender yet telling. Shopping trips with her mother in small-town South Dakota were moments of bonding, but also early battles in personal freedom. “I remember those dresses she’d love—frilly, itchy, and cute,” she says. “But I’d be like, get this off of me. I’m not wearing this.” Even as a child, fashion was never passive. It was resistance. It was voice.

Her older sister, eight years her senior, introduced her to alternative grunge and '90s rebellion that included REM t-shirts, flannel, combat boots, and denim cutoffs. In a small town where country music ruled and logos like Nike and Abercrombie served as social armor, Lehr’s refusal to conform wasn’t just a style choice, it was a stance. Lehr never wore name brand anything and always felt more comfortable doing her own thing. 

Despite her evolving image, Lehr’s wardrobe is filled with pieces that have stayed with her across eras like band tees from high school, bell-bottoms she rarely wears because of the trauma of water soaking into bottoms, and a tote of stained shirts reserved for gardening and messy art days. She’s gotten better at letting go of things that don’t spark joy, but some pieces hold memory and she never knows when she’ll need them..

Her love for fashion isn’t stuck in vanity. It’s more in the utility, symbolism, and connection. Clothes can be armor or comfort, but for Lehr, they are more like tools for self-expression. Her tattoos follow the same philosophy. The first, inked just days after her 18th birthday, reads “In memory of father” in Japanese kanji, honoring her dad who died when she was 12. “My mom cried after every tattoo,” she recalls. “Even well into my thirties.” And yet, each piece became part of the evolving canvas and an aesthetic story worn in ink.

Bryant Lake Bowl Theater is designed as an intimate listening room that strips away all the flashy lights, extravagant decor, and bloated bars to focus on the talent on stage. Catching up with Mother Coyote before her release show, her outfit felt tailored to this exact moment; not flashy or distracting, but concise in a story. 

Instantly her Halara sleeveless midi black dress stood out as the main focus of the look. The dress includes a ribbed back design that channels coyote claw marks, along with a hood that summons images of a witchy version of little red riding hood. It fit like a glove and being sleeveless, showcased off the colors and art of her tattoos. The front of the dress featured dual high cut splits, which added mobility and space to see her boots.

The silvery metallic boots were found in one of the two local shoe stores in her hometown in South Dakota called Shoe Sensation. They were on sale for $20 and caught her eye. She purchased them before even thinking about when or where she would be wearing them. 

Her friend Niko made her earrings, which feature a long, lean silver feather and that symbolic connection to nature. There’s plenty of Niko’s handmade earrings in her collection.

Lehr admits that there’s no true process for shopping currently. For her, finding clothes is more spontaneous and happens randomly in a variety of ways. She even confesses that the algorithm has her tailored down and shows her temptations all the time. 

Mother Coyote’s debut EP release When the War Comes is a taste of the evolution of Lehr’s music. It sways heavily into piano-driven songwriting that dances through dreamy and moody songs, with a gorgeous soundscape all produced and captured by Andy Thompson. Lehr admits that genres never really worked for her as she calls this new set of songs esoteric alt-pop with indie and folk roots. But even then, that doesn't quite capture the full spectrum of influences in these 4 songs. 

The opening title track “When the War Comes” guides you in with haunting vocals. The progression takes hold of you and opens up into a dramatic expansion of layered instruments and crescendo with soaring smooth vocals. The emotional gripe in that first song sets the stage for navigating themes of birth, death, restoration, reflection, and waiting in patience for a change. 

“Eden” builds on that foundation with a further invite into Leh’s remarkable vocal range. Her ability to artfull and skillfully convey emotions, power, and color in her voice and lyrics takes center stage. 

Her song “The Tower”, inspired by the Tarot card of the same name, speaks directly to her process of dismantling and rebuilding. Much like we discussed when the term ‘mother’ was reclaimed, the tower card is often thought of as a really bad card to pull. Lehr sees it differently. If evolution is to take place, there has to be a destruction of the old to make room.That philosophy applies not just to Mother Coyote, but to her identity, her lifestyle, even her closet. There are parts of Lehr that she’s had to grieve. The version of the girl who played shows every week, drank too much, and lived in venues had to die to make room for who she’s become now.

“When I look back at who I was in 2016 after just releasing Artifacts, I was pregnant with my first son a month later. Everything that has then transpired from 2017 through 2020, including the pandemic, has had threads that are consistent, but the embodiment of who I am is entirely different. It's empowering and there's a lot of just trying to hold space for the cringe that I once embodied. Everybody has to embrace your cringe and the things that we did in the past or said in the past or thought in the past, because it's all just steps that you're walking up as you become a more full version of yourself.”

Standing on stage at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater, Mother Coyote remained hooded for most of the set. Cellist Dan Lawonn provided a rich fullness to songs that resonated so nicely with Lehr’s songs. The first half of the set Mother Coyote played acoustic guitar and showcased many of her pre-name change songs. 

The second half shifted to the keyboard and almost immediately you could feel the comfort of playing her new songs. “When the War Comes” had a rawness and expressiveness that cut through the venue. Lehr has a mastery of dynamics and once on the keyboard, that subtle soft to yearning ache in her voice was mystical. 

There was so much focus on the outfit before the show, but all of that disappeared when the songs started. The presence of Mother Coyote embodies that magical, spiritual, and moody elements that live in her new album. The black hooded dress carried this fervent energy with the slices of tattoos and peeks of silvery combat boots. Onstage, Lehr doesn’t perform as a character. She steps into an embodiment that is equal parts grounded and ethereal, grief-filled and grateful.