Interviews
-
The Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic of Life: An Interview with Brandy Clark
Late last year, country songwriter Brandy Clark quietly released her debut album, 12 Stories, on a little indie label out of Texas. Though the collection was chock full of exquisite craftsmanship, captivating performances, and ace production, Clark was an unknown quantity as an artist. Sure, she\’d scored a couple of number one hits (Miranda Lambert\’s…
-
Five Questions: Jacob Thomas Jr.
It takes a lot of talent and craft for a singer/songwriter to present a piece of work that is both fresh and familiar. But that\’s what Jacob Thomas Jr. has managed to do with his new solo acoustic record, Original Sin. Even on the first listen, the collection feels like slipping into a worn-in pair…
-
Five Questions: Sandra McCracken
It would be easy to say that it\’s all about the knowing, familiar voice when it comes to Sandra McCracken. But that would be an oversimplification. The voice wouldn\’t be nearly as comforting and comfortable if it weren\’t channeling such a sweet heart and generous mind. It all has to be taken together because the…
-
Doing the Work of Being Alive: An Interview with Michael Franti
Years ago, when Michael Franti started his career in the Beatnigs and, later, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, he probably had no idea that he would get to a point in life when he was doing yoga and singing dance tunes. Sure, that yoga serves as a form of activism and the dance tunes very…
-
Five Questions: Daphne Willis
With both Chicago and Texas in her bones — and music in her blood — Daphne Willis was destined to become a singer/songwriter. You can\’t fight both nature and nurture, after all. Willis actually tried, though, but the call was too strong. And, so, she starting playing open mics and writing songs. Soon enough, she…
-
The Indigo Girls' Art and Activism: An Interview with Emily Saliers
Indigo Girls Emily Saliers and Amy Ray have always worked — and lived — at the intersection of art and activism, supporting myriad great causes and organizations. On May 15, they\’ll be in town to play a benefit for Thistle Farms at Thistle Stop Café. Though the show is sold out, it will be streamed…
-
On the Complexities of Love and Hate: An Interview with Joan Osborne
On her new record, Love and Hate, singer/songwriter Joan Osborne delves deeply into matters of the heart. It\’s a lovely, sensual work that reflects her as a woman and an artist. For the bulk of the set, Osborne partnered with long-time friend and collaborator Jack Petruzzelli as a co-writer and co-producer. Together, they fashioned a sound…
-
Art's Evolution and Expression: An Interview with Katie Herzig
When she first started out, Katie Herzig was a guitar-slinging folk singer crafting heartfelt melodies filled with equal parts melancholy and optimism. Flash forward 10 years and, while the sentiments remain largely the same, the soundscapes in which they live have been altered dramatically. Pulsing drum loops, soaring synthesizers, and fuzzy bass lines provide the…
-
Five Questions: Kris Orlowski
With his new album, Believer, Seattle\’s Kris Orlowski steps forward in two new directions. First, it\’s a full-length record (after three EPs) and, second, he\’s a band (not just a singer/songwriter). Listening to the depth and breadth of Believer, both points ring out loud and clear — it\’s a solid collection of songs rendered in big sonic fashion.
-
Five Questions: Catie Curtis
It\’s safe to say that singer/songwriter Catie Curtis has been around a few blocks, musically and otherwise. She has carved out a solid career and slogged it out on the folk circuit over the course of more than 20 years now with support from an array of record labels and a multitude of fans.
