Buck Meek features on new Biita Houdei album, This Bed Was Made For Me

This Bed Was Made For Me will be Houdei's first release under her newly-taken name Biita, gifted to her by her auntie and meaning "unique" in Farsi. "I proudly take this name," she says. "It makes me feel that much closer to my Persian heritage."

The album is guided by fellow singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx on her first lead production role, with "The Ground Here" arriving as the first single. The track features Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek, and sees Houdei longing for the winter and rain of her Ozark hometown.

"I had moved to Topanga, California, a landscape that is undeniably beautiful," she explains. "I, however, being painfully aware of how strained the land had grown to be during years that I lived there, longed for natural bodies of water and the simple rainstorm.

"Growing up in Missouri, I was and continue to be more of a creek/river swimmer. I had missed winter for the first time in my life. I never thought I would long for winter more than I did when I lived in California. These seasonal shifts help me savor nature more deeply. The song begins in the driest part of the California summer, then ends in the lush rivers in the Ozark Mountains back home."

Speaking about Meek's contributions to the track, Houdei continues, "As the recording came together in the studio, I couldn’t stop thinking 'What if Buck contributed his beautiful guitar playing to this song?' Then I couldn’t unhear the potential of him singing along toward the end. I asked, he was down. I love Buck’s music so much— I’m very thankful and stoked to have his talents on this song."

This Bed Was Made For Me was recorded across ten full days in a converted garage in Portland. The fourteen songs explore themes of love, heritage, taking chances and the impact we have on the world around us. Many of them were written in Topanga during the wildfires, as Houdei adjusted to a life outside of Ozark. Taking her commitment to connecting with the album a step further, Houdei also made patches for each song which she crafted into a quilt that is pictured on the album's cover.

“Many of my favourite albums didn’t reveal themselves instantly to me,” Houdei says. “Some did, of course, but I had to work to understand the full scope of the piece as a whole. I encourage people to dive deeper into everything that they choose to consume. It is not my intention to sound pretentious, but instead, I am trying harder to explain the gratitude I have for being able to craft every part of this album— using my hands, my brain, my voice, my visions. To me, it is an all encompassing work of art,” she continues. “Making the quilt was laborious. Taking the cover photo was laborious. No shortcuts, but rather a manual and tangible approach. I am thankful for the time it took.”

This Bed Was Made For Me artwork

This Bed Was Made For Me tracklist

"The Ground Here"
"Fennel Knows"
"Frog Song"
"Time Go Time Gone"
"Life Inside the Hourglass"
"Burnin'"
"Quiet and Warm Willed"
"Adelaide"
"Night Fright"
"This Bed Was Made For Me"
"Peach in the Briar"
"Window in the Winter"
"Bud Worth Biting"