Tag: singer songwriter

WATCH: Aisha Badru, “Lazy River”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Aisha Badru
Hometown: Yonkers, New York
Song: “Lazy River”
Album: Learning to Love Again EP
Release Date: June 2, 2023
Label: Nettwerk

In Their Words: “‘Lazy River’ is about the healing process after loss. The lyrics emphasize non-judgment and patience in regards to the way that we grieve the loss of love. We often rush ourselves to feel better and focus on the appearance of being happy but I’ve learned that emotional healing is a journey. There should be no shame or urgency in any step of the process. In this song, water represents emotions. I love how the dancer (Amara Barner) in the video captures the fluidity and occasional chaos of moving water. Her movements show her surrendering to and ultimately mastering her grief; allowing it to move through her.” — Aisha Badru

Photo Credit: Jeffery Trapani

WATCH: Robert Ellis, “Yesterday’s News”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Robert Ellis
Hometown: Lake Jackson, Texas
Song: “Yesterday’s News”
Album: Yesterday’s News
Release Date: May 19, 2023
Label: Niles City Records

In Their Words: “I met Erica (Silverman, the director of this video) around seven years ago. We’ve been both life partners and creative partners since. We started shooting much of this footage shortly after falling in love, and before kids. The footage spans four continents and too many tours to count. Originally our intent was to make a narrative short film about being on the road. Life, as it often does, got away from us and said film vanished into the ether. The footage, however, remained. For Erica and I, going through it now, all these years (and two kids) later, was cathartic to say the least. It also struck us both that unknowingly we had been documenting much of the source material behind the song ‘Yesterday’s News.’ This is more than just a music video for us, it’s a window into where this song comes from.” — Robert Ellis

Photo Credit: Erica Silverman

Photos: AmericanaFest Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Few artists are more associated with Americana music than Lucinda Williams, even as her incredible career is hard to categorize. Her Grammy wins range from Best Country Song (“Passionate Kisses”) to Best Contemporary Folk Album  (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road) to Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (“Get Right With God”). Just a few days following her 70th birthday, the Americana Music Association hosted an impressive all-star tribute concert at the fabled Troubadour club in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 4. The intimate performances underscored Williams’ versatility as a songwriter, with each of the performers putting their own personal stamp on her songs without ever losing the straightforward and often sensual lyricism that she’s known for.

Enjoy photos from the AMERICANAFEST Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams:

All Photos: Erika Goldring, Courtesy of the Americana Music Association.

WATCH: ZG Smith, “Nighttime Animal”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: ZG Smith
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Nighttime Animal”
Album: Nighttime Animal
Release Date: February 23, 2023
Label: Tone Tree Music

In Their Words: “When Kyshona and I were writing ‘Nighttime Animal,’ in my mind the term was sort of a proxy for people who go against the grain. I think most of us have this pull in our lives to fit in, acquiesce to our surroundings, and be, for lack of a better term, ‘day people.’ In some ways that can be positive; we’re communal beings by nature, and we should definitely be able to function cooperatively, but a lot of folks end up quashing their own individuality and creativity in order to follow someone else’s idea of convention. Even worse is when some larger outside entity like the government tries to minimize individual autonomy, as is the case with reproductive rights legislation in Tennessee and other states right now. I think the defining energy of your life should be centered within you and no one should have power over someone else in that way. You can kinda see this in the way we crafted the arc of the music video when the main character, the ‘Nighttime Animal,’ has this sort of ‘hell yeah!’ moment when he finds the motorbike and lets himself go.” — ZG Smith

Photo Credit: Natia Cinco

BGS 5+5: Irene Kelley

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Irene Kelley
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latest Album: Snow White Memories
Personal Nicknames: Renie

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I’d have to say the artist who influenced and inspired me the most has been and continues to be Dolly Parton. It all started in 1980, when I was the lead singer in a rock ‘n’ roll band, and I heard Dolly singing on TV from another room. I basically stopped in my tracks and ran to the TV to see who that voice was coming from. I started watching Dolly’s show regularly and got really interested in her original songs. She was responsible for converting me into a country music fan, and then later, a songwriter. The first song that I learned to play guitar on (just to be able to sing to it) was “To Daddy.” The simplicity of the chords, the beautiful melody, and the storyline compelled me to want to perform the song at my shows in the early ’80s.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

Gosh, that comes and goes so often that I can’t really narrow it down to just one song. Sometimes songwriting is a breeze, and a song will just make itself known in 30 minutes. Other times, it’s like milking a cow. It doesn’t give milk, you’ve got to go in there and pull it out. When I started to record my own records in 2000, I found myself recording songs I’d written, and then second-guessing the lyrics, sometimes going back and rewriting them several times before mixing. That can be a good thing though because it really makes me focus on the songs and truly want to make them the best that I can make them. Especially since I am the one who will be singing them night after night.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

That would probably be the first time I played the Grand Ole Opry in April 2001. My mom and sister came to town from my hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and both of my daughters, Justyna and Sara Jean were there — it was truly a special night. They all sat on the stage as I performed. My mom watched me go from singing rock as a teenager in her basement, to country and bluegrass (her favorite music genres) on that hallowed stage that night.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I love to hike in the parks around Nashville and the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Those are my favorites. I keep flower and vegetable gardens at home, and getting my hands in the dirt is always good therapy, too. These are the times I can truly talk to God, and lo and behold, sometimes He’ll send me a song idea.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I had some classical training as a teenager and I still use some of those techniques if time and environment allow. Just to remind myself on proper breathing for singing, I learned to touch my toes and breathe in deeply. The air goes where it’s supposed to and that’s a good reminder, especially if I’ve got some jitters before a show and can’t get centered. Also, standing facing a wall and singing the song “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” that I learned from an early Emmylou Harris record is a great way for me to warm up my voice before a show and a recording session. That song in the key of D has all of the notes I need to stretch my voice, hold a vibrato, and get on pitch. I have been doing that for over forty years I’d say, but I don’t ever sing that song in my shows. Go figure!

Photo Credit: Anne Goetze

LISTEN: Joe Henry, “Kitchen Door”

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Artist: Joe Henry
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina; Rochester, Michigan
Song: “Kitchen Door”
Album: All the Eye Can See
Release Date: January 27, 2023
Label: earMUSIC

In Their Words: “I very rarely know where a song comes from, or what it’s ‘about’ in the real time of writing it; and I am sincere when I tell you that I have no desire to know — as I never want to find myself anticipating direction, or trying to steer the discovery that is a song’s hallmark and most potent offering. Additionally, I will confess here that even when I do know, I’m not likely to be forthcoming about it when asked; because I don’t want a listener either to be making assumptions about the experience that a song so uniquely shepherds. Best always for practitioners and receivers alike to plunge headfirst into a song’s water and let it swallow you whole, with all mystery intact.

“Having said that, I’d feel disingenuous right now — having been asked directly about this particular song — to feign ignorance; for in this unique case, I can readily trace its point of origin, and identify its beating heart …

“My beloved mother passed away, suddenly and with no warning, on the last day of May, 2020, at the home she shared with our father in Shelby, NC. Owing to those early and confusing days of the Covid lockdown — and my own status of being somewhat immune compromised — I was initially unable to travel from my home in Los Angeles to join my grieving dad and siblings. It took three weeks, in fact, for me to find my way safely there to stand with them.

(Read more from Joe Henry below the video player.)

“I’d assumed to feel my mother’s spirit still occupying the house, as my brothers and sister had reported they’d sensed; but as it turned out, once there — and though her handiwork is evident in every corner of that old farm house — I could not divine her presence; felt certain that wherever it is that people go upon departure … she’d flown there.

“As I lay alone and awake in one of my old bunk-beds in the converted attic that first night — weary, and very heavy of heart — I heard myself ask toward the ceiling,

“‘Where are you?’

“ — and knew even as those words escaped me that she was and remains all around and within me.

“The song that followed a day or two after returning home picked up on that very thread. And though the first two verses may strike a more abstracted tone, it is the final one that speaks for me personally as I have rarely allowed a song to. And my willingness to let it stand says less about my evolution as a songwriter, and more about my dedication to letting, as always, a song speak its piece and have its way.” — Joe Henry

Photo Credit: David McClister

LISTEN: Frances Luke Accord, “All the Things”

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Artist: Frances Luke Accord
Hometown: South Bend, Indiana (Brian Powers), Boston & Chicago (Nicholas Gunty)
Song: “All the Things”
Album: Safe in Sound
Release Date: February 9, 2023
Label: Two-Dale Records/Tone Tree Music

In Their Words: “A song that speaks to the heart of our indie/folk/bluegrass/pop sensibilities, ‘All the Things’ is a playful but heartfelt ode to boundless love and companionship. Made with help from Don Mitchell (banjo, percussion, harmonium, production) of Darlingside, this happy-go-lucky tune is a warm ray of sunshine on our sophomore LP, Safe in Sound. Written during the dark days of COVID lockdown, we crafted the lyrics in a way that (we hope!) begs the listener to stay unabashedly hopeful and CONNECTED; for at the end of the day, our perspective on suffering — coupled with our ability to discuss it in an honest and open way with others — will determine its grip on us. We hope you like it as much as we enjoyed writing it!” — Brian Powers & Nicholas Gunty, Frances Luke Accord

Photo Credit: Luke Jackson

LISTEN: Ken Yates, “Fairweather”

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Artist: Ken Yates
Hometown: Creemore, Ontario
Song: “Fairweather”
Album: Cerulean (Bonus Tracks)
Release Date: January 27, 2023
Label: Soundly Music

In Their Words: “It was the first song I wrote for Cerulean, but at the very last minute I decided not to record it. I think I felt like thematically it didn’t fit with the other songs, and the slow pace of it might have gotten lost on a 12-track album. But I kept coming back to it, which is usually a sign that a song is worth revisiting as a release, so I sent a demo to producer Dan Ledwell. Hearing it with drums, piano, horns, and Jenn Grant’s lovely harmonies really breathed new life into the song for me, and now I’m really excited to share it with people. The song is about what happens to relationships when someone puts their dreams ahead of the people who love them. Ambition is what drives us to get up every day, but if we don’t nurture our relationships with friends, family, partners, etc., they may not be there for you in your darkest moments.” — Ken Yates

Photo Credit: Jen Squires

LISTEN: Lynne Hanson, “Light In Me”

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Artist: Lynne Hanson
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Light in Me”
Release Date: January 27, 2023
Label: Panda Cave Records

In Their Words: “I was commissioned by a fan to write ‘Light In Me.’ She wanted to ‘gift’ the song to a friend who was struggling and who had isolated herself from friends and family. The idea was that an original song would bring joy to this individual and help her to shake off the darkness she was feeling. When I accepted the job, I thought it would be easy and pretty straightforward. But every time I sat down to work on the song, I felt this incredible pressure to make a difference. It took me three months just to get up the courage to attempt to write it. When I finally managed to get started, I ended up writing the song in just one afternoon. The song explores the theme of loneliness and despair, and rediscovering the light that shines bright in all of us, but that we sometimes lose sight of.” — Lynne Hanson

Photo Credit: Jen Squires

WATCH: Del Barber, “Still Got You”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Del Barber
Hometown: Inglis, Manitoba, Canada
Song: “Still Got You”
Album: Almanac
Release Date: Spring 2023
Label: Acronym Records

In Their Words: “This is the first song I wrote for Almanac. I walked outside to take a leak one night on my little farm in western Manitoba. The stars looked like they were crammed in the sky like sardines, the wolves were howling, cows were bawling… I had my dog Fischer next to me. I realized how lucky I was to have this life, the simplicity, the isolation, all of it. Meanwhile, in big cities all over North America, friends of mine were marching in Black Lives Matter protests. There was global unrest (Covid 19.) There seemed to be so much darkness in the world. Sometimes when I watched the news it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath me. That night, like so many here, I felt like I was on this island away from the shouting and chaos of it, away from bankrupt political conversations, all of it. My partner Haylan and I were building a life on the fringes of it all and I was in love with it and proud of what we had… however, with those feelings of love and thankfulness came guilt. I had privileges so many didn’t have and I wanted to do right by them. And I knew there’d be some consequences from looking away from the world as often as we liked. This song was written slowly over a few months. Whenever the idea for it came up I’d casually add to the piece. It was a simple effort, a calming process that I used to choose to celebrate doing the small things well, seeing the good in my life, leaning into it and finding peace in shutting out the world from time to time.” — Del Barber

Photo Credit: Will Bergmann