By: Karen Steinberg
Q) You’ve been compared to artists like Grace Potter and Margo Price, but how would you describe your sound?
A) So lovely! My sound has evolved and changed, but I think my voice and my guitar remain at the center of it all. I’ve been called many things, but I’d like to think I’m a soft hearted rocker.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Often I get stuck in the 60s and 70s, stuff like T.Rex or The Move…My parents didn’t listen to a lot of music when I was a kid, so I’ve soaked up what I could from family and friends, but I have a very wide interest in all sorts of music.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “A Good Sign.”
A) I spent a week at a friend’s log cabin on a private island in Northern Ontario in the summer of 2021 and since we had been living in the city, cooped up in an apartment in the pandemic with no outdoor access, I realized what I’d been missing once we got out into the forest and the trees and into the lake for days on end. It was like being re-introduced to nature, in a place where no other person could reach us. The song came quickly because I think the words were so true for me at that moment. The recording for the album happened later, without any planning, we just set up a mic on our back porch (which backs onto a beautiful wetland) and that take became the song you hear, with the loons and the peepers singing on the track with me in the heat of the summer.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I think it’s that return to nature that we all miss sometimes. It’s sort of a universal concept that humans are bonded to the natural world – it’s what we all came into, but we’ve all become so disconnected from it, especially the last few years. So, this was an attempt at helping people remember what the wind sounds like when it weaves through the trees in the summer or what the sun looks like when it shines on ripples in the water….and maybe to notice those things more, to find more tiny moments of solace in a world that wants us to be constantly moving and working.
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
A) I think the DIY aspect of the video really complimented the vibe of the record – everything was made in house with people I love. When we were in Sweden for a tour this last fall, my husband Jon had the idea to film me walking through the most beautiful places we found. The day we decided to film conveniently happened to be the most beautiful full moon, another good sign.
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) I think often the melody and words come to me first, often the chordal ideas come later. I’m more flexible with those and I take a while to pick out which chords fit under a melody. The words are usually the first thing to come. But I’ve written so many songs by now, the one thing that I know is that the process changes and I always try to be open to possibility when I’m writing.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) A big one and I’ve often sat on the sidelines not realizing that what I was doing was producing. I love working in a team with producers as well.
Q) My favorite tracks off your new album Home Front are “Already There in My Mind” and “Counted On You.” Which song(s) hold a special place in your heart?
A) Aww – you picked my favorites, too! Those were both very fast songs to come to life and both of them struck me as having a lot of meaning when I think about the vibe of Home Front.
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to Home Front as a whole – either as a message or emotion?
A) I think it’s about peace and I think it’s about being able to find those moments of solace wherever you are. This record was meant to be played to bring comfort. As a touring musician, I haven’t always found that much time to put towards rest and rejuvenation but this record is supposed to be a micro dose of calm in an otherwise crazy world.
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) Honestly, I’m a road dog, so I love all kinds of places – I’ve performed in hockey arenas, small bars, theaters – you name it, I love it. I think every setting lends itself to a different kind of performance and I love finding new ground with my band.
Q) What songs off the album have fans been most enjoying hearing you perform live?
A) I think “Counted on You” has really hit with people, which is surprising to me because it’s so soft and so tender and vulnerable….and that’s been meaningful to me as someone who often comes out swinging with a rock band. It’s really nice to have people connect with a song that just stands alone like that.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future? I could see something with Finnegan Tui or Laura Minear.
A) Let’s put them both on the wishlist then and add Elton John. [laughs]
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) Djo because I’m on that “Stranger Things” track and MJ Lenderman because my band showed it to me in the van. The new Kathleen Edwards record, Sharon Jones and Gerry Rafferty – a healthy mix of things.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) I’d say THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU!