*I had missed the CD release party on 9/1/04 at Southpaw in Brooklyn NY, also featuring Goodbye Girl Friday. How was that experience?

Terrific. Southpaw is a great club and it’s a pleasure to play there. I love the fact that it’s a Brooklyn venue (since I’m now a  Brooklyn girl) and the venue seems to take music and musicians seriously, which is refreshing. Some clubs don’t pay enough attention to sound, especially for acoustic acts.  But Southpaw books national and local acts, from hard-core rock and roll to acoustic/alt-country shows and they seem to really pay attention to making each different kind of band shine.  I also  really dig the guy who booked us there named Doug -- he is a real lover of  music.  Great taste (he’s introduced me to some cool local bands) and a really good person -­ no attitude.

So we had a really fun night.  It was a weird week with the Republican Convention and Labor Day weekend -­ seemed like many of my friends were out protesting or escaping from the  city.  I went to a few protests over the weekend and sang at the March for Women’s Lives, which was inspiring. Thousands of people out for that march, and hundreds of thousands in the
streets over the course of a few days for the various activist events. It reminded me of why I love New York City so much.

Despite the weird timing of the show, we had a good crowd and folks seemed really into it.  I was excited to play, with some new songs and a good feeling of being lucky to play with such talented people. Some shows  are just right. You play every song like that’s the only one that matters  and do the tunes justice. We had a really good time as a band and it’s important to have fun playing music, I think. The audience feels that too.

It was a pleasure playing with Goodbye Girl Friday. Dave Sherman has been so helpful to me and he’s such a kind and open person.  Peter Hay, my radio promoter turned me onto him (as a artist reference when I was  considering hiring him) and we hit it off. He’s shared lots of resources with me (including Chris Tarrow, the wonderful producer and guitar player who now
plays with me on occasion) and has been very helpful with music industry advice.

*Peter was instrumental in the development of careers of John Mayall, ZZ Top, & Al Green, amongst many others. What impact has he made for your recordings & presence in music?
 
Peter has been very helpful. He’s been in the business a long time and one of the things that I really like about him is that he seems to be in it for the right reasons -­ to help further musicians  that he likes. He’s a straight talker with a seasoned perspective on the industry. He e-mailed me after reading a Village Voice review and I immediately appreciated his candor and advice.

I don’t think it’s easy to get radio stations to pay attention to independent musicians (my  first album, The High Dive was self-released) and there’s so much music to compete with -­ the stations get hundreds of CD’s a week or something crazy like that -­ so you need someone who has relationships with these music directors that will push for you. Thanks to Peter, we’re now on more than 90 radio stations, including some in Canada and Europe. And some of the DJ’s seem to have really taken to the album, which makes me very happy.

"What was the original core of your sound when you performed in MA, and how did it grow into what it is today with banjo, mandolin, etc.?

I’ve been playing guitar and writing songs for a long time, but I  don’t think I was ready to do this until now. I mean, not REALLY ready to DO IT in the way that I now want to. I know what kind of music that I want to make now and I’m not daunted by the whole process. I know it’s hard to make money playing music and it’s nearly impossible to “make it” in the industry
(especially with the kind of music that I like, which is not typically played on the bigger, “hit radio” stations) but I just want to write good songs and get them out there. I feel lucky to have to opportunity  to be doing it at this stage of my life, with a lot more confidence and pleasure & sense of self. When my daughter was born, it made the transition from working with non-profits to playing music (and taking care of her) so clear -­ I had a new kind of courage when she was born. I think having a baby can put what matters in perspective in an amazing way. I just wanted to write songs that mean something and hang out with her, so that’s how this new chapter started. And it’s the first time I’ve really allowed myself to focus on being a musician in a serious way.

*I like the pic of you walking on the sand..is there a story behind that one? The other pic I see you in, you have a similarly long jacket as in the other..is that a personal style?

Oh man, I don’t know what my “personal style” is...evolving, I guess.  I wear what I like and what seems to fit me.  Long black leather jackets can be very cool. I dig mine. A gift from my girl.

*Your website cites your performing at the "Underground" club  at Brown University in Boston.  What is that club like? Was your band anything resembling what's on "The High Dive"?

When I was in high school and then college at Brown University, I liked playing out occasionally but lacked the confidence to know what kind of sound I wanted to create. It  felt like a lot of experimenting and some lame songs had to work their way out of my system as part of that process. My band now is amazing -­ such a  talented group of folks -­ unlike any other band
I played with when I was younger. I’m lucky to have found these guys. They get the tunes and breathe  a new kind of life into them. When I bring a new song to play for them, I’m always so excited to hear what each of them will start playing and how the songs will grow and evolve from their playing.
 
*Where did you get  your drawl and vox phrasing from? It's beautiful and colors in your words...makes the songs sound fresh even when you sing of the same subjects and phrases.

I don’t even know that I have a drawl and don’t think much about the vocal phrasing. It just comes out and the vocals often change a  bit from take to take. My sound engineer, Sammy called me “Scoop” because I was always doing some funny little vocal scoop thing (lifting up a note here or going low in a weird place there) and each recorded take was different -­ he told me that I would have hell to pay when trying to add harmonies and he was right! It’s hard to sing along to a part that doesn’t ever quite stay the same!  Oh well -­ it’s got to be about the feeling that you have when singing and I can’t control that so much. The feeling is wrapped around the melody.  It’s all about finding that melody that captures it for me.
 
Speaking of same subjects, there's a common thread to your songs..seeing the stars, enjoying the blue skies, invitation to play, to get away, the visions of others' perspectives against yours/narrator's. Were these themes congruent in your mind when you put this album together? Is there actually a theme to "The High Dive"?
 
Because it’s my first  album, I actually don’t feel like there is one clear theme but more of a mix  of writing that I’ve done over many years. I think it ends up holding  together nicely as an album, but to me the songs are all pretty distinct, having emerged from different periods in my life. For instance, I actually wrote “Merry Go Round” in college, “The Bearer” and “Wildcard” about 6 years ago, and then other tunes like “The High Dive”, “Baby Jane”, “Saints and Saviors” and “Riddler” this year. Some are more country like “Four Leaf Clover” (written for my baby girl when she was about 6 months old), others more clearly folk/rock. If I were to venture a theme on this first album it would be exploration -­ just trying to express different feelings through music over the years with a  range of influences. The next album (already written and in the process of rehearsals with the band) has much more of a theme and cohesive sound to it (more in the vein of U2/Coldplay/early Radiohead/The Cure/Luna). The album will be less country. I can’t wait to record it.

*You have a show at Cafe 111 coming up here in Brooklyn on 9/30/04. How did you grow your fame in New York?

I love that you’d ask how did I “grow my fame” -­ what a flattering way of putting it!  I don’t think I’ve reached fame yet by any means, but we’ve made a lot of progress over the last year (I didn’t start playing out seriously until late fall of last year and since  then we’ve done about 20 shows, recorded an album and developed a pretty  great base of support here in NYC) I think it’s good timing for me and I’ve met the right musicians. Luck, persistence, good friends who come out to shows and a passion for songwriting all help move things along.
 
*Lucinda Williams is cited as a prime influence. What is your impression of her latest effort "World Without Tears" ? Recently I've read that many songwriters point to "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" as a  touchstone for many songwriters.
 
She’s  fantastic. Such feeling in her tunes and her voice can be so haunting. “World Without Tears” is a great album as is “Car Wheels”.  I tend to think more in terms of songs that really resonate for me now more than albums (the dangers  of legal song downloading, I suppose) So in terms of my favorite tunes of hers, I’d have to say  “Can’t Let Go” (“Car Wheels”) “Steal Your Love” (Essence) “Side of the Road” and both “Fruits of My Labor” and “Those Three Days” from “World Without Tears”.

*Same question re Gillian Welch. She grew up in NYC and also attended Berklee College in Boston. Any comparison to her experiences to yours, if at all?

I don’t know much about her experience but she’s another one of my all-time favorite artists. I’ve seen her and David Rawlings live a few times and they are the best I’ve heard live. Transporting. So in-tune with each other it’s strange. Her music is unbelievably good.

*Uptime looks like an awesome studio. Did you take their Unversity classes? And did Carl get to use the Steinway for recording this CD? 

Uptime was great and really good to me on making the sound right on a limited budget  for this debut release. Carl totally dug the Steinway and he made it sing.  We recorded the whole album in a few sessions, with much of it done live, adding some harmonies and overdubs later. I love the sound of the Djembe drum  that we got on some of the tunes (Merry Go Round and Baby Jane in particular) -­ it’s just right for those songs.

*Tell me how you first linked up with these amazing musicians: Chris Tarrow (Goodbye Girl Friday, GrooveLily) Damien Bassman (musicals, orchestras, NYC bands) Jose Moura (Dante, Derby)
 
Luck! I met Chris through Dave Sherman of Goodbye Girl Friday, Damien through another musician friend named Alec Berlin, Jose through the musician grapevine and Carl and Jordan through Craigslist (a great online resource).I started with Carl first last September and then we grew from there.

*Was the recording process any different working at Realm? Which songs were recorded where?
Realm is a great, affordable spot that’s perfect for recording harmonies and guitar overdubs -­ that’s mostly what we used it for -­ it’s a good place in Williamsburg and Adam treated me right. Told me when stuff sounded good and when it sucked. Sometimes you really need that honesty and he delivered it with grace. 

*What defines alternative-country to you?

You know, that’s a great question. I still don’t really understand what alt-country is but much of the music that I love (Whiskeytown, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Wilco etc) seems to fall within that genre. I try to read No Depression magazine (the alt-country music resource that’s
totally worth checking out) but I still don’t quite know how to define the term. I guess it’s country with an edge.

*Onto "The High Dive" Where is the Grill House, the pic that's on the CD itself? Also, what type of guitar are  you playing on the CD cover?
 
We took those shots at Coney Island, where I love to go, especially with my baby girl and my partner so it seemed like  the right spot for album shots since much of this album was inspired by the two of them.

****
**I hadn't received lyrics on the songs so I went through the CD in one sitting and transcribed some random notes. Here are questions on the songs.
 
**What is referred to in regards to 'pick the lock/let the doors wide open" (?)
on “Riddler”? I love the organ sound by Atom. I also have to wonder what that
'puzzle' really is about.
 
That’s a trippy song!  I wrote it a 3 in the morning in a fog of sorts and it all just came right out in about 10 minutes. I don’t know if I totally understand all the lyrics, but I dig them! Sometimes you’re surprised by what comes out. “Don’t pick the lock this time, let the doors wide open” is me telling myself  not to over-think things or try to solve unsolvable riddles of the heart. Just move on and be open to what’s here and now.

**Great slide guitar on "Riverboat" What I love about the song is the ability to step inside the song's vision into a dream, and come out of it again. Electric guitar comes through just perfectly on this one.
 
Chris Tarrow NAILED the slide guitar on that part.  It’s beautiful and totally changed the tune. That’s one of the most complicated songs on the album but one of the best, I think. It’s got a lot going on and I love the banjo part that comes in at the end (third verse), which moves back into a loud electric guitar part -- it’s perfect for the feel of the song. Bittersweet. Longing and lonely, then angry and strong.

**I like the sort-of-bluesy tune "Wildcard" as well. Was this a song that wrote itself, or did you have something/someone specific in mind?

One of my best friends was having a hard time, stuck in a bad relationship that she just couldn’t get out of staying in it more out of fear of loss than anything gained between them.  So I sat down and wrote it with her in mind and I was listening to a fair amount of Nina Simone, Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass at the time. So it has a jazz influence; not my usual style but it’s a fun song for me to sing and a bit different.

** “Baby Jane”: Here we go back in time about 2 years at the full moon (my almanac says it occurred on 10/21/02 320am ET, Full Hunter Moon) Sound here is a bit like hearing the Flatlanders or maybe Pete Droge. Is Jane human or animal? I picture Jane as an equine figure running on the shore. Considering it's a Hunter's Moon...perhaps a Centaur?
 
“Baby Jane” is really my baby girl Natalie who was born on 10/22/02. The song is for her but I named it “Baby Jane” (some say the tune should be  called “Consellations” because I wanted it to be more universal in feel and less literal). Using her name would have felt weird and too  personal.

**"Weekend Getaway" is a great driving tune. Love the  mandolin on this! Is "Route 65" a real road? I was looking around MA for a match, but didn't find anything. There is of course US 65 which runs from the Deep South to the Midwest. Is your account of the diner real? One thing that fooled me is the thought of hand-holding with another girl, and here I am thinking that you were with a guy, until the end of the  song.
 
It’s not a real road, I don’t think -­ just what came out when I was writing. But the diner account is true -­ being in a relationship with a  woman (“two girls laughing holding hands”) often leads to complicated reactions from strangers -- people who are shocked or angry or excited or  whatever -­ it’s not always easy and the song captures that but the up-tempo feel doesn¹t quite match some of the struggle of the lyrics which I like -­ it’s more surprising and less predictable that way. You have to really listen to the words or else you might think it’s just a happy tune about a  simple “weekend getaway”

**My very favorite track on here is  “Four Leaf Clover”; it's a comforting, up-tempo, down-home song. Tell me about how you came up with this one.
 
It’s a really happy song.  I wrote it lying in bed with my baby girl when she was about 8 months old and we’d just been to the zoo together -­ she was smiling and spring had just arrived -- it’s  a simple and joyous tune about childhood and being a new parent in love.
 
**"The Bearer" is intriguing and quickly exits from the listener's memory as if it wasn't meant to be explored deeply. What is the connection with the subject of the song and Birmingham? What is the issue re 'pretending' here?
 
Like “Weekend Getaway”, this sounds like an upbeat, happy tune but the lyrics tell a different story. The song is actually based  on a true story of a man who was killed for being gay in the South about 5 or 6 years ago. His parents didn’t know he was gay before he was killed and  then found out much about their own son’s death (and his real identity as a gay man) through the news coverage. So the television was in some ways “The Bearer” of news about their son -­ a fact that I found so sad and alienating. Reading the story years ago in the New York Times made me angry and the song just wrote itself. People should not be killed or abused or punished for loving who they love -­ it’s just absurd.

**Hearing "Summer Waltz" in the headset here the first time there appears to be a different mix. What  was the decision on this remixing or producing this one differently?

Good call! Yes, we decided to swirl the sound round a bit on the chorus of that one to give it more of the “sway baby sway” feel of the lyrics... it was just a fun little experiment but I’m glad you noticed!

"On the title track, I thought I heard you say "mama's 10  commands." Is that "commands" or 'commandments"? Sounds like your daddy had his own commands if indeed he was the alcoholic that you describe in this  song. Also I pictured Hank Williams Sr. in this tune, referencing “blue  eyes”, which is also what Lou Reed describes in his famous Velvet Underground song.
 
The lyrics there are actually “Well I’ve got my Daddy’s blue eyes and I’ve got my mama’s temperament”.  This is my drummer’s favorite tune. The band really like to play it and I do to -- it just flows right live.

**Merry-Go-Round: I like how you end this album with being a force of energy, spinning and seeing, not hearing..taking an outer perspective  on the castles we build. Excellent use of percussion here. What is the satellite that is referenced? Is this a statement on responsibility?

I’m glad you noticed the drums on this one -­ I think  Damien did an incredible job and the sound is great.  I actually wrote this tune back in college at Brown, where I was becoming more energized and political and socially conscious. The song is in some ways about becoming an adult and a sense of responsibility the satellite in the tune explores that.