Tag: janis ian

International Folk Music Awards 2023: Molly Tuttle, Janis Ian Among Winners

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Four of the most accomplished women in roots music were announced as winners at the International Folk Music Awards in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, February 1. The ceremony served as an opening night celebration for Folk Alliance International, the annual conference that runs through Sunday, February 5.

Janis Ian, a longtime folk favorite, earned Artist of the Year honors, while Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s Crooked Tree was named Album of the Year. There was a tie in the Song of the Year category, with Aoife O’Donovan’s “B61” and Anaïs Mitchell’s “Bright Star” sharing the award.

In addition, the Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to honor the cultural impact of legendary folk music figures: one Living, one Legacy, and one Business/Academic. As previously reported, this year’s honorees are Janis Ian; the late folk and blues singer Josh White; and Oh Boy Records, the independent record label co-founded by John Prine in 1981.

For more about Folk Alliance, check out our BGS preview about the 2023 event.

Read our BGS interview with Janis Ian.

Read our BGS interview with Molly Tuttle.

Read our BGS interview with Aoife O’Donovan and our BGS interview with Anaïs Mitchell.

Photo of Molly Tuttle: Samantha Muljat

Folk Alliance International 2023: Valerie June, Mary Gauthier, Janis Ian, and More

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This week in Kansas City, Folk Alliance International beckons to those people who love intimate songwriting, intentional activism, and interesting interactions at every turn. The Bluegrass Situation will be on the ground with hundreds of other music fans and performers, seeking out new talent and engaging with the legends. Here are some of the moments we’re most looking forward to.

First-Timers Orientation
Wednesday, February 1 at 3 pm

Pretty much everything related to this conference–from the trade show to the showcases–takes place inside the Westin Hotel, so you’ll find yourself squishing into elevators with the same faces throughout the five-day event. The inevitable question is, “What are you going to see next?” That’s up to you, of course, but this mixer will help you make a game plan to maximize your time at Folk Alliance. Sure, it can be intimidating at first. But once you get used to it, it’s also one of the most welcoming events in the music industry.

International Folk Music Awards
Wednesday, February 1 at 8 pm

One of the most popular gatherings of the week, the International Folk Music Awards recognize the achievements of the past year as well as the accomplishments of the genre’s icons. Leyla McCalla and the Milk Carton Kids are among the confirmed performers. Take a look at the nominees and special award recipients and enjoy an evening of wonderful speeches and song.

Black American Music Summit
Wednesday, February 1 at 4 pm
Thursday, February 2 at 11:30 am
Friday, February 3 at 12 pm
Saturday, February 4 at 12 pm

Black artists and industry members will confer about ways to empower one another with daily conversations during this four-day summit. The first session on Wednesday is subtitled “Setting the Tone,” while Thursday tackles the theme of “It Takes a Village,” which helps leaders learn how to lean on others to grow their business. On Friday, the topic is “Money Matters,” with tips on identifying revenue streams and best practices for touring, applicable to artists and industry alike. The final installment on Saturday explores the vast and ever-changing modern landscape of Black Music with a two-hour program subtitled “Lifting the Gaze.”

Valerie June Keynote Address and Artist in Residence
Thursday, February 2 at 1:30 pm

Tennessee native Valerie June is one of the most versatile figures in roots music, with her creative output ranging from Grammy-nominated albums to a new children’s book. Her afternoon keynote address is likely to touch on some of her favorite themes, such as finding joy, mindfulness, and communing with Mother Nature. Prior to her appearance, the conference will host a presentation from its Artist in Residence. Cary Morin will speak about his experiences with Friends of the Kaw, a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the Kaw River (also known as the Kansas River). He will also sing a song written about the experience.

The Queer Pulse of Society: A Conversation About Community and Social Sustainability
Friday, February 3 at 10 am

This conversation presented by Bluegrass Pride will offer insight from performers and industry professionals about their interactions in the music community. Topics include intersectionality, identity politics, and socially sustainable models of business. The discussion will be led by Lillian Werbin (president and co-owner of Elderly Instruments), Marcy Marxer (a prolific recording artist in children’s music), and Sara Gougeon (founder of Queerfest and part of the FAI social media and marketing team).

Mary Gauthier: Saved by a Song
Friday, February 3 at 2 pm

Mary Gauthier shared her highs and lows of her path in her thought-provoking memoir, Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting. In this special interview session at Folk Alliance, she will describe how songwriting can bring people together, even when it seems that they have nothing in common. If you’re looking for wisdom and insight from one of our most masterful artists, don’t miss this one. The interview will be conducted by folk radio personality Marilyn Rea Breyer.

CommUNITY Gathering: Meet the Team
Saturday, February 4 at 9:30 am

It should be clear by now that Folk Alliance has an approachable vibe. That extends all the way to the organization’s leadership. All delegates at the conference are invited to this gathering that features new executive director Neeta Ragoowansi and new board president Ashley Shabanakareh. After a few remarks, there’s a casual meet-and-greet. BGS executive director Amy Reitnouer Jacobs will also be on hand, alongside Folk Alliance deputy director Jennifer Roe. Yes, we know it’s early, but there’s coffee!

Janis Ian: In Her Own Words
Saturday, February 4 at 10:45 am

The enduring singer-songwriter known for “Society’s Child” and “At Seventeen” is now in the twilight of her career. An unusual case of laryngitis forced her to cancel her farewell tour but it hasn’t dimmed her status in the folk community. She’s revered for her way with words and her honesty, not to mention six decades on stages around the world. Her final album, The Light at the End of the Line, is a proper coda to her recording career but you can expect this informal chat to survey her full career. Stick around for a Q&A after the talk.

Songs of Hope, Songs of Change
Sunday, February 5 at 10 am

By now, you’ve made new friends, discovered amazing artists, and stayed up waaay later than usual. Congrats! Close out the event with this grassroots multi-artist concert featuring songs written about climate and social justice written by FAI artists. Hosted by the People’s Music Network, the event is intended to rally the activist in all of us. As the (highly recommended) Folk Alliance 2023 app says, “Come lend your ear and lift your voice at this Sunday morning event, as our community collectively and creatively engages with messaging and meaning that will inspire us all.”

Janis Ian Shines on Grammy-Nominated Final Album, ‘Light at the End of the Line’

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That old adage about God laughing at the plans of meager humans hit home in bittersweet fashion for Janis Ian. The legendary singer-songwriter was in the midst of an incredible victory lap: Her stunning studio album The Light at the End of the Line, released early in 2022, received critical accolades, nabbed a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album, and ushered in a Lifetime Achievement Award from Folk Alliance International. She had begun a final tour when a spring bout of laryngitis led to a diagnosis of vocal fold scarring, a condition that would make live performances impossible and forced the cancellation of her remaining tour dates.

When Ian spoke to BGS last month, her speaking voice was clear and cheerful, even when recounting the tough break mentioned above. She had plenty of reasons for hope and happiness anyway, as she talked about the recording of and response to The Light at the End of the Line, a newly remastered CD version of her classic 1975 album Between the Lines, and other memories of her monumental career in music.

BGS: First of all, how are you feeling, with regard to your vocal cord injury?

Janis Ian: It’s a little weird. I wouldn’t have expected that I’d be forced to stop. The plan was always that I would go on and sing until May 31, 2023, and then close out with a big concert in Dublin, have all my friends join me for a documentary they’re making about me, and then do one-offs with my friends. To suddenly not be able to do any of that, I’m still in shock, but I’m getting through.

Well, if The Light at the End of the Line is your last album, you certainly went out on a high note. There is such ease about the record and a sense of grace.

I love to hear that. A sense of grace.

Did it feel that easy making it, or was there pressure knowing that it was the last album?

I didn’t think about it being the last album until I started looking at the list of songs and realized that it had been 15 years since the last one. I kept a whiteboard of songs that I thought were really good, that lived up to the mark. One day I looked at it, and I added one song and I thought, “All I’m missing is the title song now.” From there, this one probably fell into place more easily than anything I’ve ever done.

I put off writing the title song as long as I could because I didn’t want to write a farewell song. And I wanted to walk that thin line between saying thank you and being maudlin. The song was in scraps of paper all over the house. My wife kept going around the house picking them up worried that I would throw them out. The idea for the bridge was on the back of a paper plate. I wrote it down and she kept saying, “Please don’t eat off this now.” When I looked up, I had an album of first-take vocals. So that feels really good too. Given what’s happened to my voice, it’s nice to know that at that point, the first take was the final take.

I’ve read in other interviews that you normally don’t set out to write a song with a predetermined topic in mind.

Pretty rare.

But because you intended this to be your last record, were there certain topics that you wanted to hit?

I felt like it was important to step out. It was important to be brave. It was important to have a song like “Resist” on there. It was also important to be hopeful and have something like “Better Times Will Come.” I really wanted to walk the thin line between those two, between everything has got to start changing and yet it’s hopeful.

You mentioned “Resist,” and to me, the honesty and fearlessness of that song harken back to “Society’s Child.” I was looking up videos of you performing it back when it was released. In one, you’re introduced by Leonard Bernstein, who gushes over the brilliance of the song. In another, it’s on The Smothers Brothers Show and they’re joined by Jimmy Durante in introducing it! Can you wrap your head around the longevity you’ve had in the music world, from that song being released in 1966 to a Grammy nomination in 2022?

You know, I went to my throat doctor for a follow-up yesterday, and he said to me, “58 years is an incredible run. Most artists, it’s 15 years until their voice goes.” I thought about that and the line that I always heard from fans on tour was “Gosh, you sound just like you’ve always sounded.”

How much has the reaction to the album meant to you, not just from critics, the Folk Alliance, and the Grammys, but also from fans?

I have a pretty personal relationship with my fans. I learned after “Society’s Child” not to be afraid of them. Up until COVID, I stayed after every show to sign and to meet people. I always emphasized you don’t have to buy anything to say hello or to get a hug. And I really saw what songs like “At Seventeen” meant to them. It’s very moving. So, to put out something like this and have the fans rooting for me, it’s pretty great. I remember on Facebook when I did the announcement about canceling the tour, it killed me. We were all set, and there I was saying there’s not going to be a tour and there aren’t going to be makeup dates. When I announced it, I expected blowback. I expected people to be annoyed. I was shocked. I had 10,000 positive responses.

A lot of those fans have followed you through the years, with your music accompanying them in different stages of their life. Was that the thought process behind including a song like “A Light at the End of the Line,” to address yet another stage?

The interesting thing about that song and “I’m Still Standing” is that I thought those songs were for people 50 and over, people of my generation. The most feedback I’ve gotten has been from people 15 to 25 years old. The first time I sang “I’m Still Standing” was for two other songwriters aged 19 and 20. And the woman started crying. I said, “You can’t possibly relate to this.” She said, “This is the story of my life. You just told what I’ve been going through.” There’s a lot to be said, as a writer, for keeping in mind that you don’t know what you’re talking about. (laughing)

Switching gears to the reissue of Between the Lines, that album possesses such variety in terms of musical styles. It is far from a typical “singer-songwriter” record in that respect. How important was it to be able to put out a remastered version that captures those original sounds?

I got control of the record everywhere but North America. I started talking to Sony and basically said, “You’ve been using the same thing that you had out in 1983. Please let me go in and remaster. I’ll pay for it. Give me permission.” That was part of why I brought in Brooks Arthur. (Arthur passed away this past October after working on the reissue.) He was the original producer/engineer. At the time he was running Adam Sandler’s music business. Bringing in Brooks was like saying, “I’m not throwing it out. I’m not getting rid of what was there.” But I wanted to know what would have happened if Brooks had worked with this kind of equipment. And that’s what we did.

You can’t take away that it was recorded in 914 Studios (in Blauvelt, New York) that was held together with spit and glue. The best kind of studios are. They’re the least fancy. But you could take advantage of things like being able to remember mixes. It was great to be able to remaster it and feel like finally the CD was commensurate with what the album had been.

Did you feel at that time you were pushing boundaries with a radio song like “At Seventeen,” and did anyone ever try to rein that in for commercial reasons?

I think by then that I didn’t really care what anybody else thought. (laughing) There was pressure on it. I threw my then-manager out of the session because she kept saying that I was destroying a potential hit. Brooks and I had absolute faith in the song and so did every musician who played it. There was some pressure from the record company to drop the second verse and make it a three-minute song. But instead, Brooks did that brilliant little Bucky Pizzarelli guitar lick and made it a single.

Do you remember writing that opening line “I learned the truth at seventeen,” and did you immediately feel like you had something special?

Absolutely. That was one of maybe three songs in my life where I thought, “I think I’ve written a radio-friendly song.” That’s not my forte. People like Diane Warren, they do that without even thinking. It’s a real talent that I don’t happen to have. But I knew from that first line that I was onto something special. It was really scary. I didn’t want to blow it.

You plan to focus your artistic impulses on other endeavors besides music, but what happens if something pops into your head and heart and wants to be a song?

Fortunately for me, I notate. There’s still always music running in my head. That hasn’t changed. I could probably limp through a demo and make myself understood enough to send it to another artist. It’s just I can’t hold my pitch for an extended period, which means I can’t do two or three songs in a row. And my voice gets gravelly without warning. At that point, I’m Tom Waits. OK, there are worse things to be.

Is there one aspect of your career of which you’re the proudest?

That’s a good question. I think recognition from other artists. Because really, that’s the mark you try to hit. Leonard Cohen loved my work. And Leonard is the mark that you’re trying to hit if you’re me as a songwriter. Ella Fitzgerald thought I was a great singer. That’s a mark you try to hit. The people who I work with and whose records I grew up with, people like Joan Baez. Joan never goes anywhere these days but she came to my last show in Berkeley. She came backstage and said, “So you’re really doing it?” And I said, “Yep, this is the last tour.” That somebody like Joan cared enough to call me when she heard that I was having vocal problems, that’s meaningful to me.

And that’s not to denigrate the fans, because clearly they’ve meant a great deal to me and they’ve been really good to me and understanding. It’s the fans that raised all that money, $1.3 million, for the Pearl Foundation (a charity Ian founded with her wife Patricia Snyder) because I couldn’t raise all that on my own. But for me, the highlights are the fun I’ve had with other performers. Playing guitar, playing lead guitar with somebody like Tommy Emmanuel. Walking on stage with somebody like Chet Atkins and Michael Hedges. Those are amazing memories.

Thanks so much, Janis. I have to say I’ve never done an interview that encompassed both Leonard Bernstein and Adam Sandler.

That’s a good span! (laughing)

Photo Credit: Niall Fennessy

International Folk Music Awards Reveal Nominees, Lifetime Achievement Winners

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Folk Alliance International (FAI), the foremost global nonprofit for folk music and the producers of the International Folk Music Awards, have announced the recipients of numerous honorary awards as well as nominees for Album, Artist and Song of the Year.

The Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented each year to honor the cultural impact of legendary folk music figures: one Living, one Legacy, and one Business/Academic. This year’s honorees are lauded songwriter and performer Janis Ian; the late folk and blues singer Josh White; and Oh Boy Records, the independent record label co-founded by John Prine in 1981.

The awards show will be held February 1 in Kansas City, Missouri, on the opening night of FAI’s 35th annual conference, and will be broadcast online. Appearances are confirmed by Folk Alliance International Conference keynote speaker Valerie June; The Milk Carton Kids; IFMA honoree Leyla McCalla; and Sam Lee.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Rounder Records)

Get on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee by Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder
Marchita by Silvana Estrada
Queen of Sheba by Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf
Anaïs Mitchell by Anaïs Mitchell
Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Aoife O’Donovan
Jake Blount
Janis Ian
Leyla McCalla
Prateek Kuhad

SONG OF THE YEAR

“Udhero Na” written by Arooj Aftab, performed by Arooj Aftab featuring Anoushka Shankar
“Vini Wè” written and performed by Leyla McCalla
“Bright Star” written and performed by Anaïs Mitchell
“How” written by Marcus Mumford and Brandi Carlile, performed by Marcus Mumford featuring Brandi Carlile
“B61” written and performed by Aoife O’Donovan

The People’s Voice Award is presented to an individual who unabashedly embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public careers. As an artist, Leyla McCalla has always traveled through time and space, opening the channels between lost or hidden touchstones of roots music and the present day. As a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters and in her solo work, the multi-instrumentalist and composer brings immediacy to long lost stories and shows how they survive and adapt through the flexible agents of rhythm, language, and intimate human connection. Her work is political and warmly welcoming, cerebral, and highly danceable. Based in New Orleans after growing up in a Haitian family in New York, McCalla makes music that adds detail to music’s maps and gives voice to people whose struggles and triumphs define its diasporic evolution. In 2022 she released the album Breaking the Thermometer, the culmination of her most complex project yet — a multimedia performance telling the story of the first independent radio station in Haiti. Breaking the Thermometer made Best of 2022 lists at NPR Music, PopMatters, and Mojo, in addition to former President Barack Obama’s list of favorite music for 2022.

The Rising Tide Award was launched in 2021 to celebrate a new generation (under 30) artist who inspires others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice. Award recipient Alisa Amador points folk music toward its future — a future that’s cosmopolitan, multifaceted, and multilingual; qualities that have in fact been at the community’s heart all along. Amador, who comes from a folk music family, grew up in Boston, Maine, Puerto Rico, and Argentina, and her songs show the influence of all of those places. A native Spanish speaker who’s spent most of her life in the States, Amador moves easefully between the two languages in her songwriting. As a high schooler, she studied jazz, and is known for sometimes scatting during performances. Amador’s ability to blend all of these influences within sharply rendered yet gently flowing songs helped her win NPR Music’s prestigious Tiny Desk Contest and Folk Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards.

Shambala Festival will receive the Clearwater Award, presented to a festival that prioritizes environmental stewardship and demonstrates public leadership in sustainable event production. Shambala Festival is a four-day contemporary performing arts festival in Northamptonshire, England. The festival is completely and utterly committed to being sustainable, circular, regenerative, net positive, earth and life respecting, and future thinking. They have reduced the festival’s carbon footprint by over 90%; achieved 100% renewable electricity; became meat, fish, and dairy-milk free; and eradicated single-use plastics. They’ve received many awards for their sustainability work, including the Innovation Award at the 2018 UK Festival Awards, the International A Greener Festival Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Creative Green Awards in 2017, and more. The festival is Creative Green Certified and has committed to measuring and transparently reporting all of their impacts to provide an honest evaluation of their efforts. They work with independent third parties like Julie’s Bicycle to assess their performance and carbon footprint. The Clearwater Award is sponsored by Levitt Foundation.

The Spirit of Folk Awards are presented to honor and celebrate people and organizations actively involved in the promotion and preservation of folk music through their creative work, their community building, and their demonstrated leadership. This year’s recipients are as follows:

Steve Edge has been presenting folk music in Vancouver as a DJ on CiRT since 1985, and concerts and festivals throughout the city since 1986, initially independently, and then as a co-founder of The Rogue Folk Club in 1987 where he continues to present Celtic, folk, and roots music as its artistic director. Steve was an inaugural member of FAI in 1989, is an inductee into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the Unsung Hero award from the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Amy Reitnouer Jacobs is a founder and the executive director of L.A.-based the Bluegrass Situation, an online music destination and promoter of roots, folk, and Americana music and culture. She joined the board of FAI in 2015 and was instrumental in refining and codifying the recruitment process for board elections as chair of the Nominations Committee. Amy served as board president through the pandemic and supported FAI’s recent strategic plan and executive director transition.

Marcy Marxer is the creator of All Wigged Out, a poignant and witty musical theatre production (and now film) recounting her harrowing triumph over breast cancer. Painfully funny, it is an example of the power of music and humor to inform and heal. Marxer, along with her partner Cathy Fink, is a multi-Grammy Award nominee and recipient, and together they have been recognized with over 60 Washington Area Music Association Awards for their folk, bluegrass, and children’s music recordings.

Adrian Sabogal is an acclaimed musician, producer, and researcher who founded Marimbea, an organization dedicated to the well-being of the Afro-Colombian communities from the country’s South Pacific coast. By arranging music-centered cultural tourism excursions, Marimbea strives to generate alternative sources of income, knowledge exchanges, and support networks for artists in marginalized and remote communities. Adrian’s work has had an impact on the economic development in the region, and the preservation of a vibrant and unique musical tradition.

Pat Mitchell Worley is the President and CEO of the Memphis-based Soulsville Foundation, which oversees the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy, and The Soulsville Charter School, all with a mission to perpetuate the soul of Stax Records. She is the longtime co-host of Beale Street Caravan, a syndicated roots radio show broadcast, and she regularly hosts artist Q&As for the Grammy Museum Mississippi and Oxford American. She is a former development director for the Memphis Music Foundation, and a past employee of the Blues Foundation.

The Folk DJ Hall of Fame was established to recognize radio DJs who have made an outstanding contribution to the preservation, promotion, and presentation of folk music, and who have demonstrated and inspired leadership in the broadcast field. Inducted DJs include the following:

Robert Resnik has been the host of All the Traditions, Vermont Public Radio’s folk and world music program, since 1996. Hooked on music since the 1960s, Robert previously spent many years on-air at WRUV at the University of Vermont. All the Traditions is as eclectic as Robert’s musical taste, but is dedicated to promoting music created by people living in the VPR broadcast area, which includes all of Vermont and parts of New Hampshire, New York, and Quebec. Robert also plays more than 25 instruments, and has performed and recorded CDs with a variety of musical combos for kids and adults.

Marilyn Rea Beyer hosted her first concert in junior high as the school band emcee. She got on board The Midnight Special listening to WFMT as a Chicago teenager. She has had careers in education, PR, and high tech. In 1995, Marilyn became on-air host and music director at Boston’s premiere folk station, WUMB-FM, and served on the board of the legendary Club Passim. Returning to Chicago, Marilyn joined WFMT in 2020, hosting The Midnight Special and now Folkstage. The Midnight Special launched in 1953 and maintained legendary status under Rich Warren’s stewardship. She says that judicious risk-taking, nurturing artists, and falling in love with new music make the job fun.

John Platt has hosted the Sunday Supper (formerly Sunday Breakfast) for 25 years at WFUV, New York, and has curated On Your Radar, a monthly showcase for emerging artists at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City for 17 years. He has founded the not-for-profit New Folk Initiative, which has extensive resources for the folk community at newfolk.org. He began his career at WMMR Philadelphia in 1969, programmed WXRT Chicago and WRVR New York, worked at WNEW-FM and WNYC, and produced national radio programs.

Harry B. Soria Jr. was known as a radio personality and walking encyclopedia of Hawaiian music history. The musicologist, award-winning liner notes writer, and record producer was the son of prominent local broadcaster and songwriter Harry B. Soria Sr. Ironically, Harry B.’s interest in Hawaiian music was sparked by hearing “cool” old records far from Hawaiian shores while at college in San Francisco. Upon returning to Hawai’i, he bonded with his dad over his vintage Hawaiian records. Harry B.’s passion for music from this period led to guest spots on KCCN in 1976 and his weekly Territorial Airwaves radio show of recordings from his personal collection. In 2019, Territorial Airwaves became the longest-running Hawaiian music show in radio history. Soria’s record collection and archives are being donated to the Hawaii State Archives.

Pictured, top row: Leyla McCalla, Molly Tuttle, Taj Mahal, Prateek Kuhad, Anaïs Mitchell. Bottom row: Jake Blount, Janis Ian, Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf, Aoife O’Donovan, Anoushka Shankar.

Releasing Her Final Studio Album, Janis Ian Insists “Better Times Will Come”

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Over decades, Janis Ian’s career has risen and fallen and risen again. At 13, she performed at a folk showcase seated next to Tom Paxton. “Society’s Child,” a song she wrote soon after and recorded in 1965, earned her national fame – and death threats. But by the time she was 20, the music industry had written her off as a one-hit wonder. She fought depression and self-doubt for years before the songs “Jesse,” “Stars,” and ultimately “At Seventeen” put her back in the international spotlight.

She received a Grammy Award in 1975 for “At Seventeen” and another for her 2012 audio recording of her biography, Society’s Child. Her songs have been covered by a host of stars, ranging from Nina Simone to Amy Grant to Joan Baez. Yet over the years, she endured a disastrous and abusive marriage. Embezzlement by a long-trusted money manager left her indentured to the IRS. She spent years playing to sold-out overseas audiences without any U.S. airplay.

Nevertheless, she persisted. Today, she has a legacy of 25 albums, countless industry awards, her own record label and a long, happy marriage. Always an activist, she founded The Pearl Foundation to support older students’ higher education goals. In 2020, she started the Better Times Project to help out-of-work musicians during the pandemic.

Now, at age 70, Ian has released her last studio album, The Light at the End of the Line, joined by a stunning array of musicians. After years in the public eye, Ian long ago abandoned any pretense. And she speaks with warm gratitude of the musicians who helped her with her recording, as well as the freedom she has to produce what she considers the best album she has ever made.

“I love that this album has so many different genres. I love that there are people like Sam Bush and Vince Gill on it. And at the same time, they’re working with people like Diane Schuur,” she tells BGS. “I love the breadth of it, and I hope that other people do. I think that as a result of radio and record companies needing genres, we have become very genre-fied. Everything is a contest, and everything’s got to be slotted right now into its own pigeonhole. And I’m very, very happy that this album tries to avoid that.”

BGS: After 15 years, what inspired you to produce an album now?

Ian: I have had a rotating list of about 10 songs that I thought would be good for an album. I wanted my next album after Folk is the New Black to be absolutely song-oriented, with the best songs I could possibly contribute. I set a pretty high standard. I wanted to match or beat songs like “Jesse.” And that took a while. Then one day I looked up at the list, and I thought, oh, my gosh, I’ve got 16 songs here. And I think I’ve got 11 or 12 that would work.

I’ve often wondered, after somebody writes a musical melody like “Jesse,” if one gets to say, “that’s enough.”

But you always want to equal or better what you’ve done. I think especially as you get older, and you realize that the contest is not between you and a bunch of other people; that the contest is between you and what you’ve done. You become motivated by different things, and you’re still motivated. Part of being an artist is just that drive.

A release says you “took risks, both in lyrics and production techniques.” Can you talk about that?

I think in a song like “Resist,” talking about things like female genital mutilation is a risk. Using words like ‘crap’ is a risk in the kind of genres I work with. I think taking something like “Swannanoa” and making it sound like it’s been around for the last 200 years is a different kind of risk. Certainly, taking all those different musicians on “Better Times Will Come” and saying to each of them, “Okay, I want a step-out performance, like you’re with the Dorsey band, and you’re standing up and taking your solo from the very first note,” that’s a risk, because you never know what you’re going to get.

And I think putting together an album that only concerns itself with what are the best songs rather than what are commercial songs or what’s going to make radio happy, what’s going to make folk listeners happy — those are all risks. Those are all things that I’m not sure I could have done when I was younger.

Did having your own label free you up to do this?

It’s a combination of not being with a major label and not having to deal with the constant pressure of you need to do this, you need to do that, you need to look like this, you need to be there. Not being with a major label is a huge advantage for somebody like me. Plus, you actually get to earn a living. You actually get to keep part of what you make.

There are disadvantages, too. Without a major label, I wouldn’t have an international career. Without a major label, the people who heard me at 17 would not have heard me. So, it’s a plus/minus. I started the record company because I was more interested in making albums than making singles. At the time, that was a pretty bold thing to do. Oh, God, the amount of times I heard “singles drive the album,” even though album sales were booming and single sales were falling.

What did you mean when you said, “I realized that this album has an arc”?

As I started looking at the songs and the sequencing, it very clearly had an arc to me. From the statement “I’m Still Standing,” which is at once a statement of intent and a slap in the face to everybody who’s ever asked me whether I’m still making music, just because I’m not on television. But following that with “Resist” brought it full circle back to “Society’s Child.” And you’re standing there, and you’re involved in the refugee issue and the feeling that you will never again get to see your beloved home again. You’re dealing with friends who are losing children. You’re dealing with friends whose children are trans. Or you’re dealing with the fallout from the myth of the artist as a crazy person, and then having known Nina (Simone) who was a crazy person — until you get really worn out. And all of a sudden you go, “Take this off me, I can’t cope anymore.”

And then you move from that back to being a writer and thinking about good days in New York, and how wonderful it was when you were really young and the conga players in Central Park during the summer, to realizing that you’re in the last part of your life. So, you try to look at it not as the end of the line but that there’s a light coming. And “The Light at the End of the Line” is really a love song to my audience, because that’s how I feel about them. And then following it with “Better Times Will Come Again,” the Covid arc, clinging to hope like a drowning person clings to a stick. And then it all goes to hell, then it all comes back. And then it winds up with a big giant question mark, which really is what life is about anyway, isn’t it?

You have always been an avid learner of instruments. Do you feel you have to still practice?

Before a tour, absolutely. That’s part of the job, whether you’re with a band or not. I go out solo, which in some ways is a lot easier, but in some ways is a lot more difficult because it really requires that you be there and present and accountable every moment of the show. There’s nobody to hide behind. The older you get, the less fascinating you find yourself. Along with that there’s also the understanding that it’s great to play a lot of instruments and write a lot of songs, but it’s even better to play one instrument really well and write one really good song.

You have been writing science fiction. What is it about that genre that attracts you?

I think part of it is that I bore easily. I don’t mean that to sound snotty. But I do. Science fiction in general is not boring. It’s sometimes tedious, but not boring. I grew up on it. I think that it’s a lot like jazz. It’s the writing of possibilities. And that’s always more intriguing to me than the writing of what is. I think we tend to forget that Alice in Wonderland is science fiction. Nobody has a problem with Alice in Wonderland. Well, they do. But what do they know! Winnie the Pooh? I mean, how science fiction can you get? Here’s a talking bear. Cool! It’s that it’s a literature of possibilities that I like.

Are you continuing to write prose?

I’ve had nine short stories published. That’s nice, because as my wife pointed out, nobody is going to risk their reputation as an editor on some story that sucks. So, I have to believe that the stories are okay. And each one’s a little better than the last. But it is something I want to do more of. And I’m not one of those people who can do things like that in between 500 other things. Running three businesses—running a record company and a publishing company and a touring company—takes up a lot of time. I don’t remember the last time I had a full day off email. That’s all part of what I’m looking forward to at the end of next year.

Are you still running The Pearl Foundation?

We are, but we’re closing it as of the end of this year (2021). We’ve run it now for 22 years. And we’ve given away $1,300,000 in endowments. It will continue at the schools that have the endowments. But my wife and I have done all the fulfillment and all of the web work and all of the talking about it and performances and all of the begging and scratching. So, it’s time to start divesting ourselves of things that take up our time. I think $1,300,000 is pretty extraordinary. We’ve done that with no help, except from the fan base who contributed their time and their talents and their money. So, it’s a good time to close. You go out a hero.

We grew up in optimistic times, and yet at this stage in our lives, we see that we haven’t gotten any farther than perhaps the Civil War. Is that what “Better Times” was about?

But I think we have gone further. As a gay person, I can’t be lobotomized against my will for being gay. I can get married. It’s not legal to segregate. It’s not acceptable in most places. Yeah, there’s always going to be assholes. There’s always going to be jerks. There’s always going to be people who wish that it was like it was 200 years ago, forgetting that 200 years ago, women wouldn’t have been allowed to own property. I think we’ve come some of the way. And I think we have to hang on to that. We have to remember that the pendulum always swings hard one way or another before it rights itself.

Photo Credit: Lloyd Baggs

3×3: Rachael Kilgour on Unread Emails, Snow Boots, and Sunrise Lies

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Artist: Rachael Kilgour
Hometown: Duluth, MN
Latest Album: Rabbit in the Road
Personal Nicknames: Pretty much none. Although folks often forget my first name, so maybe it’s time to get one.

If your life were a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?

Being a solidly confessional songwriter, I suppose my own work would be most fitting. But Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen” and Greg Brown’s “The Poet Game” can certainly make the cut, too.

How many unread emails or texts currently fill your inbox?

An impressively minimal 16 emails. That doesn’t mean I’ve attended to them all — it’s a dangerous thing to open an email without responding immediately.

How many pillows do you sleep with?

Just one.

 

Big city life.

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How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Six, I think. Not including my climate-appropriate snow boots.

Which mountains are your favorite — Smoky, Blue Ridge, Rocky, Appalachian, or Catskill?

I’m more of a lake girl. Seriously, growing up in the Midwest on the edge of Lake Superior, I don’t think I’m willing to declare an educated opinion on this one.

If you were a liquor, what would you be?

Can I be Kombucha instead? I think it contains something like .5 percent alcohol. Good enough.

 

Hello, Duluth. See you at 7:30pm tonight at Teatro Zuccone (@zeitgeistduluth ) #rabbitintheroad

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Fate or free will?

I think the belief in free will is a beautiful, human thing and I think most outcomes are completely out of our hands.

Sweet or sour?

Sweet.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise and the lie I tell myself that I will wake in time to see it.

Photo credit: Graham Tolbert