lifeblood: listlogs: 2007v10n055-news

ig-news-digest         saturday, july 7 2007         volume 10 : number 055

today's subjects:
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  [ig-news] jam! music article        [sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.com>]

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date: fri, 6 jul 2007 18:27:16 +1000
from: sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.com>
subject: [ig-news] jam! music article

hi folks,

here's an article / emily interview from jam! music.  you can read it online at:
http://jam.canoe.ca/music/artists/i/indigo_girls/2007/07/05/4314435.html

cheers,
sherlyn

- ---begin forwarded article---
july 5, 2007
indigo girls stick to what they know
by david schmeichel - sun media

the last indigo girls album was a milestone, to be sure, marking the folk-rock
duo's 20th year of making records together.

but the disc -- called despite our differences -- also represents a slight sea
change for the pair, who after two decades together have no interest in being
boxed in by convention.

"i don't think this record was a drastic departure," says emily saliers, over
the phone from jacksonville, fla. "but it was time to make a change. to be out
of our element was a good thing -- it keeps it interesting. neither one of us
wants to settle into a formula."

saliers and songwriting partner amy ray first hooked up in georgia in the
mid-'80s, during the folk-rock boom that made temporary stars of tracy chapman,
suzanne vega, and 10,000 maniacs. though they came from different backgrounds --
saliers was a graduate of the joni mitchell school of singer-songwriting, while
ray was more influenced by punkier acts like the pretenders -- their debut
full-length won them a legion of fans, not to mention a grammy for the anthemic
single closer to fine.

twenty years and countless acclaimed albums later, both women prefer to write
what they know.

"i couldn't really write a song like amy does ... it wouldn't feel natural to
me, and i don't think amy could write the way i do," says saliers. "but i think
we've always felt that our differences were our strength. we write separately,
but we arrange together, and whoever writes the song gets veto power."

while their songwriting process may be unchanged, the indigos were still keen to
test themselves.

since despite our differences was their first disc for hollywood records (they'd
been with epic until last year), they decided to leave the familiar confines of
georgia for sunny l.a., where they were paired for the first time with producer
mitchell froom, renowned for his work with vega, los lobos and crowded house.

instead of laying down tracks while isolated in different parts of the studio,
much of the album was recorded live, with saliers and ray playing together with
their band. saliers says froom's direction lends a new cohesion to the album,
which also benefits from songwriting choices that aren't so overtly political.

"he knows exactly what he's going for, and he never overproduces," saliers says
of froom. "whenever we'd ask him to play a keyboard part for us, he'd pick the
perfect three notes. he doesn't muck up the songs, he just lets the essence of
the songs come through."

despite our differences also features a not-so-surprise cameo from pop-punker
pink, who returns a favour the indigos did her by guesting on her barbed dear
mr. president track a few years back.

saliers says both she and ray were already fans of pink when the singer (and
budding activist) first contacted them about the collaboration. and they were
tickled -- well, pink -- to be able to re-connect.

"she's a very passionate person," says saliers of pink, noting the three would
talk current events behind froom's trailer between sessions. "i wouldn't be
surprised if she becomes hugely political."

and speaking of politics, do the indigos ever run afoul -- as neil young did the
last time he was in town -- of casual fans who don't realize their activism
influences pretty much everything they do? "there are some of our songs that are
protest songs, but just as many that aren't," says saliers. "plus, i think our
fans are quite aware of our politics, so there's no griping, no."

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end of ig-news-digest v10 #55
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