Tag: Aoife O’Donovan

I’m With Her, ‘Waitsfield’

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If only there were someone giving out nickels for every time the term “supergroup” is used. We’d all be rich. It’s not an altogether uncommon designation, as perhaps it ought to be, especially in bluegrass and its nearest offshoot genres, where virtuosity and technical prowess aren’t luxuries, but commodities. Nearly every outfit could ostensibly be labeled a “supergroup.” Even more so after each member’s bio and qualifications have been flamboyantly posited. But here, in this Tunesday, you can trust that “supergroup” won’t be bandied about.

I’m With Her (aka Sarah Jarosz + Aoife O’Donovan + Sara Watkins) — is a supergroup. The artistry, ease, precision, and personality of their just-released debut album, See You Around, corroborates this claim through each and every track, but the legitimacy of the moniker is cemented with the record’s lone instrumental, “Waitsfield.” These three women are all inimitable songwriters and vocalists, so they certainly didn’t need to include a tune … but they did … for the benefit of all of us. “Waitsfield” is rollicking and playful, a whimsical mandolin/fiddle dialogue that lopes and waltzes and dashes about. It doesn’t need to be a shred-fest to illustrate, undeniably, that not a single I’m With Her-er has relinquished any of her bluegrass chops — even while they each delve into sonic territories far from their respective starting points. The charm of the song isn’t shadowed by its frenetic energy; it’s enhanced — especially at the end, when they each breathe a sigh of relief, chuckle, and exclaim, “We made it!” We knew they would. They’re a supergroup.

The Natural Course of Things: A Conversation with the Infamous Stringdusters

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What do you get when you cross a bunch of roots-minded female singers with a bunch of bluegrass-adjacent male musicians? Why Ladies & Gentlemen, of course the new release from the Infamous Stringdusters which features appearances by Joan Osborne, Lee Ann Womack, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Abigail Washburn, and eight more of the finest voices roots music has to offer. It's the sixth record in nine years for the band — which is comprised of co-founders Chris Pandolfi (banjo) and Andy Hall (dobro), along with Andy Falco (guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (bass) — and it showcases why the Stringdusters are considered one of the most innovative groups currently on the circuit.

First off, kudos on some great guests. [Joan] Osborne and [Lee Ann] Womack are two of my all-time favorite voices. So, did you guys just put a bunch of singers' names on a dart board and start throwing? How'd you figure out who you wanted?

Chris Pandolfi: The concept for this thing was two-fold: On the one hand, we wanted to do something different, as far as an album goes, just to mix it up. But a big part of it was also that we had made a lot of great friends along the way and we thought, “Who could we utilize, in terms of special guests?” And this concept evolved out of that — “What if we call on some of these awesome lady singers that we've met over the years?”

As the process started, the list was mainly comprised of people who were more in our community, in our musical scene. But, then, of course, some of those names were not, necessarily, people that we knew before the advent of this project — like Joan Osborne. The list was a combination of the two and, as the material evolved and we were getting a feel for the aesthetic of these different songs, we just did the best we could. Once the list was close to what we thought it would be and we got some confirmations from people, we — along with our producer — just did our best to match up what songs we thought would be best for each lady.

To me, that's one of the awesome successes of this album: It really uses these artists, I think, in a context that works for them. Look at the Joss Stone track or the Lee Ann Womack track … or Celia Woodsmith, who had the perfect voice for that song. All the ladies, in their own ways, brought their thing to the project and I think, in the process, they helped us take these songs and make them something that we couldn't have necessarily done on our own. They helped us make the most of all these unique and different sounds and styles that they have. It really came together that way. Certain people weren't able to do it, and the list filled out from there. But where we ended up, as far as the guests and what songs they were on, I think that's one of the cool successes of the album. The song “Have a Little Faith” was actually written for Joss Stone, with her in mind. I know that.

I was going to ask … considering that the span does run from Joss Stone to Sarah Jarosz, which came first — the singers or the songs? Did you write for specific voices or was that the only one?

Andy Hall: Yes, I believe so. Aside from that, we all write individually or co-write or whatever and bring songs to the band. So we all had songs, individually, that we were ready to bring to the next project. But I think that was the only one that was written for the singer. In other instances, say for Aoife O'Donovan, hearing that song “Run to Heaven,” it sort of reminded us of Crooked Still, just the way that sounded. In that instance, that became clear that would work that way. Each song just triggered a little something … an idea. That was one of the fun, creative parts — who would sound good on what song.

So how'd you figure out that Joss likes a little bluegrass in her soul?

AH: [Laughs] Andy Falco was hired to play in her band for a Rock in Rio festival a number of years ago. That's how that connection came about. Our connection with Joss was one of the things that inspired this record because Joss came to the States, and we opened up for her in Kansas City. She wanted to do a video of us and her playing together, during the day. She sang our song “Fork in the Road” with us backing her up for this video project she was doing, and it just sounded so cool. That was one of the sparks for this project. But that's also how that connection came about.

Interesting. Who was the first to say yes? And who was the biggest long-shot you can't believe you landed?

CP: Hmmm … Who was the first to say yes?

AH: The first person who recorded with us was, I believe, Jen Hartswick who didn't sing, but played trumpet on a number of songs. Then Mary-Chapin Carpenter was the first vocalist to put her track down. She was in Nashville while we were tracking. But, as far as asking, I don't remember.

How free were the reins when it came time to let them do their thing? Was it, “Have at it, gals!”

CP: Our producer was on hand for every session, I think, except for one or two. He did a really great job with this project — Chris Goldsmith — just in terms of staying true to his vision, which a lot of it was sonic, and he got a really cool, consistent sound across the record, although there is a real variety of styles there. I think that vision extended into how these songs would sound best. But, then again, there were cases — Joss is a great example … that track, by design, was made to let her do her thing which is to cut loose and almost improvise a lot of the phrasing. In cases where that would make the music come to life, that's what happened. In other cases, probably Goldsmith had a clearer vision of how it was supposed to sound. To some extent, every song was about letting these ladies do their thing.

The Sara Watkins track jumps to mind. She has such a compelling vocal on there and it's all because she does her thing. There's a moment where she really goes for it, and she's such an awesome singer and performer that the idea of getting her to do her thing, that's the whole point. So, to some extent, I think that was going on with everyone.

Obviously, all the guest vocalists aren't on the road with you, so how are you touring this record?

AH: We have Nicki Bluhm on the road with us for this whole tour and she is really helping. She's singing a lot of the Ladies & Gentleman songs that we do. Sometimes we'll do a few just on our own, but Nicki's on every show for the whole Spring tour so she's singing a lot of it. We also had Della Mae opening for it on a bunch of it, and Celia Woodsmith would come up and sing her song.

It's amazing how you cross paths with musicians on the road and that's, initially, how we made a lot of these contacts. We ran into Aoife O'Donovan — she was in L.A. when we were there recently, so she came and sang with us, and did a Jam in the Van session with us. We've designed part of the tour to have female bands supporting us, so we have Paper Bird coming out to open some shows and, hopefully, they're going to be able to help share some of the vocal duties. We have a lot of guests, but Nicki is anchoring all that.

More broadly speaking, you guys are very invested in being innovators within “bluegrass.” That's often a very subtle thing, though, right? So break it down … what are some of the things you guys do to open it up a bit and set yourselves apart while still honoring the traditions?

CP: One big thing that we're really focused on, consciously, is playing our own original music. The process of crafting original music is the thing that, simultaneously, helps us develop our sound as a band. We have a lot of co-writing going on, but mostly we arrange the music together. And we just try to figure out new ways to make all these instruments go together and distill all the different styles and influences into one sound that makes sense. We're pretty conscious about that.

We're really conscious about our live show. We're pretty committed to making the live experience really different every night. Of course, we're not the first band to ever do that, but we just try really hard to do our own version of that. And our fan base has come to expect a lot of variation and innovation, as far as on a night-to-night basis. They expect to see something different, and we're playing almost three hours a night, so we have to mix it up for our own sakes, too. Those are two big ones: playing our own stuff and focusing on having that live show be something that is really predicated on being different every night.

AH: One thing, specifically, that I know we've worked on a lot in the past few years is that we don't have a mandolin, which a lot of bluegrass-type bands have. The mandolin is a key rhythmic thing. Since we don't have that, we've had to get really creative with how we play rhythm and play rhythms that are not, say, bluegrass. Like on the Ladies & Gentlemen record, there are a lot of songs that don't have a traditional bluegrass beat. We've consciously spent a lot of time developing unique ways to play our instruments that you wouldn't necessarily expect or hear in other string band contexts. Myself being a dobro player, I take a lot of the rhythmic responsibilities, which is not a common thing. Not having a mandolin, we've had to get somewhat innovative with how we create rhythm and play grooves that aren't necessarily bluegrass. To me, that's something unique that we do.

It seems like there has to be a lot of trust between the band and the fans. You have to trust that they're going to follow you wherever you go, musically. And they have to trust that you're not going to do some crazy, way out of left field thing. Do you ever worry about splitting the difference in such a way that you isolate them … or any part of them?

AH: Well, yeah. The scene of traditional bluegrass and, say, the broader music scene that we're playing more in now, there is quite a difference there. We've chosen to be part of a music scene that is broader, where we play in festivals that are not just bluegrass festivals. I think, in that context, it's not quite as strange to have music that is slightly more creative, record to record. A lot of the fans we're appealing to are a little more used to that. But this is the first time we've ever done a record like this that is a very different, specific vision. Sure, you certainly wonder, “What are people going to think?” [Laughs]

CP: And we have, over the course of our career, definitely alienated people. That's part of the natural course of things. What we do is our thing. We decide where the music goes. That's one of the cool upsides of not being in what most people would perceive as a more popular style of music: You're not really beholden to any record label or anything like that. In the grassroots scene, there is some idea that your fans are going to follow you wherever you will go. Obviously, there's an extreme there and there are anomalies to that rule. But, for the most part, we're lucky: We have these great fans who want to check out all the different voices.

I have a side project that involves electronic elements and it's clearly not for the hardcore bluegrass people of the world. But there are plenty of people in our fan base who, though they don't listen to anything like that, they are excited for that to be their introduction to this musical world. I think that's a good glimpse into the way they think. They're like, “We love this band. We want to see what they're going to do. If this particular thing is not my cup of tea, then there's always going to be another album that comes out.” I think they are getting used to the fact that there are a lot of variations between projects and between songs and the live show, so it's almost part of the whole thing. So, for me, I'm not ever too worried that they're not going to dig it. As long as we make music that we believe in, I think our fans will get behind it.

Photo credit: McCormick Photos & Design, LLC

An Apocalyptic Mood: A Conversation with Parker Millsap

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When Americana fans met Parker Millsap, he was barely out of high school. He may have been wailing about truckers and God with a fiddle and a formidable backbeat, but the Pentecostal-raised Millsap’s raspy, Isbell-esque vocals on breakout single “Truckstop Gospel” delivered the familiar tropes with a particular wit. That wit, his rich voice, and the performances it yielded were enough to garner a nod for Millsap at the Americana Music Awards in 2014, and his remarkable strength as a poet and writer — coupled with his relatively young career — made his sophomore LP all the more hotly anticipated.

The album itself, entitled The Very Last Day and slated for release on March 25, continues Millsap’s evolution as a storyteller. Tracks like “Heaven Sent,” which narrates a young gay man bargaining with a religious father, or “Hands Up,” a ballad about a convenience store robbery, bring Millsap’s gift for character development to the forefront. One need only glance at the liner notes to know that his words are put to fine use, from the involvement of producer Gary Paczosa — known for his work with Alison Krauss and John Prine — to vocal contributions from contemporaries like Sarah Jarosz. 

So tell me about you growing up – when did you start getting into music?

Well, I grew up singing at church — you know, starting at age four or something like that — and when I was about nine, I started playing guitar. When I was about 13 or 14, I started playing in bands, just around my hometown. Right about then is when I started getting into songwriting because I wanted to have original material to play with the various bands I was in. Also, during high school, I had an English teacher who really got me into words, got me into writing, like a creative writing class. That all happened at about the same time.

I like that. Are you still much of a reader?

Absolutely. Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, Jon Steinbeck: Those are three of my favorites. They’re all kind of different writers, but they’re all creative in a funny way. Steinbeck’s really subtle, which I like — in a funny and a not-funny way. I think Kurt Vonnegut’s funny in a morbid and kind of existential way. Tom Robbins is kind of crazy.

What about writing this record, specifically?

I wrote these songs over a period of about two years. We were touring a whole lot, leading up to making the record. They just kind of accumulated. I went through a bunch of different phases while writing this record, from Arcade Fire to Roy Orbison to Motown — kind of all over the place, as far as what I was listening to. At the same time, I was watching The Walking Dead and reading a bunch of post-apocalyptic books: Stand by Stephen King, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I was kind of in an apocalyptic mood for a minute.

That’s interesting. You definitely have a storytelling angle to your songs.

I grew up listening to a lot of singer/songwriters who did that — who used storytelling as a way to write songs — so it wasn’t very foreign to me. At the same time, I like to read. I love fiction, so I was familiar with the concept that the author isn’t the character in the story. It makes for more options [Laughs] … at least when it comes to songwriting.

Your instrumentation changed up a bit on this album.

Yeah.

Tell me about what that brings to the record for you.

I’ve played electric guitar for about as long as I’ve played acoustic guitar. I just, when I got into songwriting, I started playing acoustic guitar more because that was what all the singer/songwriters that I listened to did. So it didn’t feel unnatural at all. It came down to serving the songs — I had these songs, and we just dressed them up how they needed to be dressed up.

Y’all lived at the studio, right — not just figuratively?

Yeah, for like two weeks. The whole time we were recording, we lived upstairs — above the recording studio. So we just got to go hang out and be a band and record for a week. Gary is kind of an audio wizard on top of being a great producer because he’s very relaxed — he’s not trying to force anything. It makes a big difference.

What makes a song stand out to you?

If it seems sincere … if it’s got mojo … that’s what I listen for.

I really like the new Alabama Shakes record. It’s kind of … I don’t know … it’s a creative record. It doesn’t sound like they’re trying to do anything other than what they do, and I really like that — I appreciate that. It sounds authentic. It’s got mojo.

[Laughs] That, it does. So you said you started out in church, and you see religious references in your songs. Is that intentional? Do you feel like that informs your work?

It just offers a perspective, really. It’s just a perspective I grew up in. It’s easy, when I’m writing a story or a song, to go there. Those references come naturally to me, I think, is all it is.

I didn’t realize growing up that not that many people were raised the way that I was. It was a pretty normal life. I didn’t live in a super strictly religious household — we watched TV, we listened to secular music. I wasn’t that isolated or anything. I did get to see really spirited live music three times a week, people really playing. In church, nobody’s really performing for anybody else — you’re just doing it. There’s a certain thing about that you can only get in that situation.

What about coming from Oklahoma and that music scene?

The music scene in Oklahoma is kind of small, but it’s a pretty dedicated group of people that go see shows and go play shows. Mike [Rose, his bassist] and I, how we kind of turned that into making money, is that we played this place every Tuesday for two years. Before that, we went to this thing called the Tuesday Night Music Club on Tuesday nights. It’s just Cushing, Oklahoma, so it’s just a songwriting circle in this lady’s house, but John Fulbright would show up or other Oklahoma songwriters, and we’d just play music in the living room on Tuesdays. So that’s how I got hooked up with the Oklahoma scene — I got to meet a lot of older songwriters who had been doing it for a while.

But you recently moved to Nashville, right?

Nashville is different. I grew up in a town of less than 10,000 people. [Laughs] And then I moved from there to a town with about 10,000 people, and from there to Nashville. Nashville’s a little faster. I like it. I live in Inglewood. There’s a lot more to do. There’s also a lot more traffic — I’m used to "across town" meaning "about five minutes." [Laughs]

That’s the truth. You have some people who sang with you on the record — Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins, Aoife O’Donovan — that’s some pretty lovely company. How did those collaborations happen?

We got in touch with the girls because Gary said, "Hey, this could be some great harmony." I said, "Hell yeah." And he said, "I know some girls." So he got them all over and it worked. It was super-easy — they were all super-easy to work with. Great voices. It’s always fun to bring other people in to work on a song, because you get someone from the outside and they come at it from a different angle. It’s something different that’s usually better than going at it alone.

One of the songs that struck me on the record was “Hands Up.”

That one just started out with the idea of … well, a lot of my songs start out like, "What if there was a song where … blank?" So that one was like, "What if there was a song where there was a guy robbing a convenience store?" From there, it just happened. I just sat down and started working on it. It’s funny, you start with a character and, by the end of writing the song, you know more about him.

On a related note, I’ve seen you talk about nursery rhymes and Bible stories and the varying perspectives in them — the fact that the story you’re taught isn’t necessarily the whole story. Do you ever include that same duality in your songs on purpose?

I just find it interesting to write from the first person. So that’s … I guess actors do it, when the tape’s on: You get to be somebody else for a second. Just like, "What’s it like? What’s that like? What’s it like to be this person or that person?" It keeps it interesting for me.

Photo credit: Laura E. Partain

WATCH: Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers at RockyGrass

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Artist: Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers (with guests who look like Del McCoury, David Grisman, Billy Strings, Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz, bluegrass zombies, and more)
Hometown: Wyoming, Montana
Song: "The Night of the Living Red: How Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers Almost Destroyed RockyGrass"
Label: Ten in Hand

In Their Words: "It was a shock to us members of Hot Rize to be overlooked by our Colorado 'homebase' festival RockyGrass — and have them hire our sidekick band instead. Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers don't even play bluegrass! The Blazers got so excited they invited a lot of surprise guests, including go-go dancers and a bunch of 'bluegrass zombies' … something we didn't even know existed.

The Trailblazers pretty much ruined the festival ambiance, but in this strange Trumped-up world, that seemed just right for the RockyGrass festivarians. Some of the footage may seem faked, but it's all for real … sorry to say!" — Pete Wernick ("Dr. Banjo")

Photo by Josh Elioseff. Video by Tim Benko.

Watch Aoife O’Donovan’s Lyric Video for ‘The King of All Birds’

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Aoife O'Donovan took to the Wall Street Journal to share a lyric video for "The King of All Birds," a new tune off her upcoming album, In the Magic Hour. The soothing clip pulls together retro-inspired footage of birds of all feathers, the scenery mimicking the bird imagery O'Donovan uses in the song's lyrics. In the Magic Hour is O'Donovan's second studio album and is due out January 22 via Yep Roc.

Watch "The King of All Birds" below.

LISTEN: Rosanne Cash and others with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, ‘Camptown Races’

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What do you get when you combine Rosanne Cash, Joe Henry, Dom Flemons, Aoife O'Donovan, Over the Rhine, the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra with the songs Stephen Foster? A performance — and now an album — that celebrates the earliest days of the Great American Songbook in a whole new way. Conducted by John Morris Russell, the Pops and guests worked through 17 of Foster's compositions — including "O! Susannah," "Amazing Grace," "My Old Kentucky Home," and "Camptown Races" — over the course of two nights at Cincinnati's historic Music Hall. The recordings have now been gathered up as the American Originals LP.

Artist: Rosanne Cash with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Song: “Camptown Races”
Album: American Originals
Release Date: August 28

In Their Words: “These live performances with the Cincinnati Pops were, in a way, terrifying. With a rock band, if you miss your cue, the band will just hang out and vamp and wait for you. With an orchestra … not so much. If you miss your cue, you better find a way to get back inside the arrangement or the ship will sail without you. However, it's nice to know I still have the ability to be terrified after 35 years of doing this. As my daughter Chelsea told me, 'Mom, if you're nervous, it means you still care about what you do.' I still care. This finale (in the concerts, as well as on the album) was a culmination of all the nerves, all the adrenaline, and all the energy in that room. When I hit the stage with my dear friends and fellow musicians, the nerves flew away and all 100+ of us on stage just let loose. See you on the ship.” — Rosanne Cash

“The music that [Stephen Foster] heard in Cincinnati, he transposed and created the music of America. And it changed us and brought us together as a nation. And it continues to bring us together — sharing sorrows, joys, hopes, and merriment. He captured both the pathos and tragedy, but also the grandeur, the celebration, and the spirit of America in all of his songs. And there’s one song, in particular, that captures the great merriment that we all feel here. Made famous by Foghorn Leghorn, here is ‘Camptown Races.’” — John Morris Russell, conductor

THE BIG BONNAROO LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

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Two months ago, we told you the big news:  WE’RE HEADED TO BONNAROO.

But DUH you already knew that.  Now it’s time for the announcement we’re REALLY excited about:  who’s playing the Sitch stage!  For an announcement this big, we have none other than our own ED HELMS to give you the scoop on what’s coming your way June 15 and 16 (black tie optional)

 

 

There are plenty of other Bonnaroo-related surprises in store for both those attending and folks who can’t make it to Manchester this year.  But one thing is for sure….

…it’s going to be quite the Situation.

CONVERSATIONS WITH… Aoife O’Donovan

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Photo by Sierra Berry

The first word that pops through my head when talking with AOIFE O’DONOVAN is “genuine.” She’s genuinely happy to be here in Seattle, genuinely interested in talking about the music and traditions that have long inspired her, and when she takes the stage later that evening, opening up for Sara Watkins at Seattle’s beautiful Triple Door Theater, she’s genuinely engaged with the audience and with her own songs. This kind of presence is only possible in tandem with a deep sense of confidence, and during our interview I tried to touch at the roots of this confidence. Perhaps it comes from her upbringing in Celtic and American roots music, as her Irish-born father ran and still runs a popular Celtic radio show out of Boston’s WGBH, perhaps it came from the creatively engaged, top-flight talent of Boston itself, where she first nurtured her artistry, and perhaps it comes from the intense energy of a songwriter who’s newly stepped foot off the well-trod footpath of traditional music to embark on a journey to the heart of her own muse. Whatever the case, Aoife’s music these days is doing most of the talking for her, with high-profile guest spots on Yo-Yo Ma’s Goat Rodeo project and appearances on Noam Pikelny and Cathie Ryan’s solo records. Aoife’s fans have long awaited her next solo project, however, and we discussed her plans for the new album, which will be a big step in a new direction.

You grew up and started your musical career in Boston. I wonder what it is about Boston that makes it such a nice scene because you’ve been in Boston for so long, you’re so connected to the scene there and there are all these really amazing artists that are coming out of Boston.  What is it about that scene?

AOIFE: I think it’s like every scene that starts with the right group of right-minded people being in the same place at the same time.  When I was coming up in Boston, 10 or 12 years ago, my mentors were people like Matt Glaser who founded the band The Wayfaring Strangers, John McGann, an amazing mandolin player who tragically passed away this year but who was and continued to be a mentor for a lot of the young musicians coming through Boston like Sierra Hull, Mike Barnett, all those people. When I was going to school back in 2000, I ended up meeting my Crooked Still bandmates in Boston. Hanneke Cassel, a great Scottish fiddle player was there, Casey Driessen and Carrie Rodriguez had just left, both amazing Americana artists.  The scene snowballed on itself; people come and go. But I don’t live there anymore.

Where do you live now? 

AOIFE:  Brooklyn, New York. I haven’t lived in Boston for almost 4 years.

New York has a really good scene as well, of course.

AOIFE:  Yeah, totally.  So, it’s just like any good scene; it’s about the people.

Looking through all the different bands you’ve either formed or been part of, all the artists you’ve toured with, you’re clearly known as a collaborator. I’m wondering… what is it like now to be moving towards going solo? It seems like you’re doing a lot more solo work at this point. 

AOIFE:  Yeah. I am, but I think that I will still continue to be a collaborator and therefore, to be known as a collaborator. In the last couple of years, I’ve done a lot of really fun collaborations that people have noticed, but I was always doing that and I think I’ll definitely continue to do that. As I move towards doing a solo thing, it’s more the chance for me to get out there and play my own songs by myself.  It’s been a really fun way to work on my guitar playing which has always definitely played second fiddle to my primary instrument which is my voice.  That’s been fun– I’ve got a long way to go but I’m trying.  To get to go out on the road and open for people has been amazing.  My first stint was earlier this year, I opened for the Punch Brothers over about three and a half weeks and played an opening set solo and then jumped up on stage with them. I’ve collaborated with everybody in that band over the years in different formations. Those guys are like brothers to me. It’s really fun to be on the road with them and get to play music with them in an informal setting, in their set.  And the same goes for this tour with Sara and Sean [Watkins] and Tyler [Chester]; it’s just such a blast to have Sara and Sean up on my set and then kind of jump on and off stage with them.  That’s what our scene is all about.

I thought collaboration was in your nature but you think maybe it’s more in the scene than in your nature?

AOIFE:  I think it’s in my nature, but I think it’s in everybody’s nature. I think that maybe I’m friends with a lot of people who love to collaborate. That’s their thing–the Watkins Family Hour is all about collaborations–and that’s what I love most about this musical family that I am a part of… how willing people are to lend their voice or their instrument to somebody else’s project even if it’s at a jam or at a show or on a record or for a tour. It’s like give and give. There’s no ego involved; it’s an egoless scene.

I wonder what you’d say your prime influences are. Obviously, you have a ton of musical influences from all over.

AOIFE: Well, as a singer, my prime influences are people like Paul Simon.  People are always shocked when I say that but I feel like the way he sings, his relaxed approach to a melody, is something that I really admire.  Another male singer of that ilk is Chet Baker, a great jazz singer that I listened to a lot of when I was in college.  Joni Mitchell, of course, in every way.  Karan Casey and Kate Rusby, 2 singers that I’ve been able to collaborate with as I’ve gotten older but who I absolutely idolized when I was younger… Those are some pretty big influences of mine.  And then, people like Dirk Powell and Tim O’Brien and as I got more into Americana music, and my peers continue to influence me in every way.

It seemed you started out with a lot of Irish influences. You went to Ireland in the summers and you have family over there, you listened to a lot of Irish music and you also do a lot of Americana and American roots music. It’s not too common to bring the Irish and American roots music together. How have you been able to do this? 

AOIFE:  It’s actually extremely common to bring the two of them together, because they’re basically the same thing if you go back far enough. American roots music comes directly from Irish traditional music. So, to grow up listening to Irish music and to discover the Americanization of Irish music, which is essentially Old-Time and Bluegrass, through the folk process, through the mountains, whatever,  I think it’s a natural thing. There’s a lot of great stuff happening now with people like Bruce Molsky and Jerry Douglas being involved with the Trans-Atlantic sessions… and I think there’s a lot of tunes that are being passed around that may be an Old-Time tune, but originally was a Celtic tune, and now a Celtic band will play it… I try to do a similar thing. I feel very American, I am very American but my dad is from Ireland and I did grow up singing a ton of Irish songs…

Was that coming from your dad’s end of things?  Where you heard about Karan Casey and Kate Rusby? 

AOIFE:  Yeah, I just grew up in that world.  I grew up around a ton of folk music; you hear about all music through your parents when you’re young.

Was there a strong Irish scene in Boston growing up?  Obviously there is but were you part of that scene? 

AOIFE:  My parents had tons of parties and we were always having Irish musicians in town but not really so much involved when I was growing up in that music scene, although I did do Irish step dancing.

With the wigs…

AOIFE:  It was before wigs.  Nobody wore wigs when I was a kid!

The sock glue as well?  Gluing the socks so they don’t fall down. The world of Irish step dancing music have changed since you were a kid…

AOIFE:  [laughing] How do you know so much about this?

It just blew my mind that people would glue their socks to their legs.  I retained that nugget of information.  I don’t understand why someone would do that.  Moving on, I like how your singing has been described as ethereal.  What do you think that means?  Have you noticed that? 

AOIFE:  Yeah.  I think maybe when people hear me they want to close their eyes and feel like they’re being carried away.

Like a forest meadow…  

AOIFE: [laughing] I’m into that, I’m into that.

Do you think it’s the Irish side? I think maybe it’s the Irish side of your music. Irish singing is ethereal.

AOIFE:  I don’t think that my singing sounds very Irish.  I feel like it’s a little more grounded.  I’m going for an earthy sound but also an ethereal sound, the juxtaposition of clouds and earth.

I like that. That’s a good answer. Let’s talk about your new album! I saw a Tumblr pic of you at Flora Records in Portland.  Does that mean that Tucker Martine (Abigail Washburn, The Decemberists, Laura Veirs) produced it?

AOIFE:  Yeah! Tucker Martine produced my new album. It’s official. We can announce it. It’s going to come out on Yep Roc Records. It’s untitled right now but it’s a Tucker Martine produced, 10 track wonder. I’m so excited about it!  I was up there in October in Portland for 3 weeks and it was an incredible experience.

What was it like working with Tucker?

AOIFE:  Amazing.  He’s the best!

Were you familiar with him before getting on-board?

AOIFE:  Of course.  I’ve been a huge fan of his since 2003 when I heard the Sarah Siskind record that he produced, which is out of print now, but is a beautiful record.  I was kind of obsessed with it. Through that I followed Tucker and became a fan of Laura Viers, his wife and frequent collaborator. Abby Washburn’s latest album was produced by him; plus the new album from my great friends Lau who worked with Crooked Still in the past.

I love Lau! What was it like working with Tucker?  He obviously understands folk music but he also brings a lot of electronic and indie influences… He brings different ideas.

AOIFE:  He’s a real musician. It’s really fun to be in the studio with somebody who listens with musician’s ears and has a great respect for who he’s working with… He just treats everybody with such respect.  He’s so kind and so respectful and just really wants to hear people’s ideas and has a way of giving his own ideas, which are always amazing, in this really non-condescending way which really made the record unfold in a beautiful way.

Can you say who was on the album with you? 

AOIFE:  Yeah.  I played a bunch of the tunes with my band from New York: Jake Silver who was in The Mammals for many years, Robin MacMillan, great drummer, Brooklyn’s best kept guitar secret, Ryan Scott,  who’s the best guitar player I know.  That was the core.  And Charlie Rose, my pal on pedal steel, a great Boston musician.  A whole host of guest singers: Sam Amidon sings on a track, Ruth Moody ended up being in Portland, came and sang from The Wailin’ Jennys, Caleb Klauder, Reeb Willms…

Caleb and Reeb, I work with them a lot.  They’re so awesome.

AOIFE:  They’re so amazing.  The last track on the record is kind of a gang vocal and John MacDonald sings on it, my friend from King Wilkie from back in the day, Annalisa Tornfelt of Black Prarie plays fiddle and sings.  My favorite guest of the whole session was my sister, Nuala, who flew out from McGill where she’s a student, and she sang harmony on 6 tracks.  She’s a really incredible singer.

So, on the new record, is it mostly original songs? 

AOIFE: All originals! 10 originals.

So when did you start moving to be a songwriter?

AOIFE:  I was always a songwriter! From when I was in middle school. I wrote songs all through college, but in Crooked Still that wasn’t our thing.  I never wanted to be the band that started off as a traditional band but then moved into being a band where it was all my songs.

Did you have band discussions about that?

AOIFE:  Yeah, kind of…

Band fights?

AOIFE:  Not fights at all.  I never wanted to use that as a vehicle for my own music because it wasn’t really about that.  There were a couple of tunes that we did over the years that I wrote that worked really well in Crooked Still… But we were a traditional band; we wanted to play folk songs; that’s what we wanted to do.

So what does it feel like now to have done all these collaborations and gone with what you were doing and the vibe and the feeling of the band and the spirit of the band but now you’ve got your album of all original songs.

AOIFE:  It feels great.  I made a list of goals when I was 18 and one of them was: make a solo album before you turn 30 and I just snuck it in with 3 weeks to spare!  It’s going to come out after I turn 30 but I did make it. [laughing] It feels great. It feels like these songs have been alive. Maybe half of the tunes are from an earlier batch and then a bunch of them are new but it just feels great to be able to tell my own stories and sing them and I hope that people enjoy it.  I loved making that record and I’m looking forward to playing my songs for people.