What have you been thankful for of late?
Matt Malikowski...because he saves Christmas everyday.
Your music is called a 'mix of ancient fiddle styles and open-hearted original pop' on your website. Regardless of labels and whether they properly represent music, how do you feel you ended up making the style of music that you are making these days?
I always listened to music. My faves as a kid were Elvis, Otis Redding, Pavarotti and anything Motown or Stax. Followed at age 12 by Early U2 and Guns and Roses. I guess the first part of my playing life was really all about being part of a community. I learned more tunes and songs and more about my instrument to be a bigger part of a community of fiddlers. I didn't really know what kind of non-fiddle music they listened to. The more I learned about music the more I was driven to create the landscapes of music I heard on my parents records. The last few years has been one long experiment in taking a group of songs and not limiting ourselves by genre to just create landscapes.
Could you walk me through the important parts of your musical career; the ones that you really feel changes or formed you?
Living for a year in the Berklee dorm surround by music 24/7....the one day of my life I spent 7 hours practicing, fiddle camp growing up because it showed me community, creativity and collaboration, peeing my pants but only a tiny bit just before walking out on stage at Madison Square Garden to play Dear Mr. President with Michael Franti and Patterson Hood for Pete Seeger's sold out 90th birthday concert...19,000 people = slight loss of bladder control.
What was the motivation / idea behind the EP series?
The EP series was an extension of the experimentation we're doing which eventually became The Poison Oaks. That's really my main focus right now. But, there are some friends I make music with when I see them...mostly for fun...and I knew those sounds wouldn't get captured in The Poison Oaks and I wanted to have some snapshot of those special sounds. An EP series seemed like a fun way to do a few of the same songs and a few unique songs per session that would really show what drives these different collaborations....Simple Heart is an extension of the Sub Rosa (Rose Polenzani's songwriter cabaret-esque thing) girl harmonies. Two Amps One Microphone is an extension of my ongoing collaboration with Jefferson Hamer (he's in The Poison Oaks too) and The Acoustic Project, which I tour with as well, is really back to my roots of fiddle music and folk songs. The girls I grew up with playing tunes and songs we love together.
Who else would you really enjoy collaborating with?
Jeez...Sam Amidon AGAIN, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), tUnE-YarDs.
You've done a fair amount of international touring, do you find that the response to your music is noticeably different depending on your location?
Yes and no. The biggest difference is people taking a chance on new music. In Europe I have found that people consider live music and music in general a part of life. They go out to hear musicians they haven't heard at their local venues. They often buy the CDs and continue following your music. But in the US and Europe once someone is at the show the response seems the same.
What does success as a musician look like to you?
Time for creativity...which I guess means having some help with the business side of things...which probably means some level of income from people liking your music.
Are you a FT musician or do you have another job to help pay the bills?
Full time all the way. and full time really means all the time. You wouldn't want to see my to-do list from day to day. I've actually never had a "day job". I worked at Johnny D's as a busgirl and then a hostess when I was in college mostly just to see the shows before I was 21. I'm lucky to get to do this. I believe in what music does for the human spirit. Playing music, hearing music, dancing to music...it is humanizing.
You grew up playing music; what would you say to young people who want to have music be their life?
Other than practice, practice, practice...I guess I'd say don't wait to try it. Say yes to opportunities that come your way. There are so many ways music can BE your life...performing is only one option, there is recording music, running a venue, promoting music, teaching, etc...many of the people you meehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gift in the "industry" have played or do play music even though they have another role as a professional in the music industry. Try it, go for it...if it feels good keep doing it. If it doesn't feel good modify the way music is fitting into your life to make it feel better. I had one friend who played in bands, toured as a side man, made his own records...He often felt anxious about life and his future. One day he decided to go back to school and within in three or four years he was making music for commercials and movies and is having a blast just geeking out at home not traveling and loving life.
Additional thoughts?
The Poison Oaks added one more show before 2012! It is FREE and open to the public.
December 13th doors at 8pm / O'Brien's Pub / 3 Harvard Ave in Allston, MA / Check it out HERE