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date: tue, 22 jul 2008 11:48:37 +1000
from: sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.com>
subject: emily article from the lower hudson journal news
hi folks,
this is a couple of days old but interesting. you can read it online at
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=3d2008807190313.
cheers,
sherlyn
--begin forwarded article--
july 19, 2008
the indigo girls come to peekskill
sarah tomlinson
for the journal news
what a long, melodic trip it's been. nearly two decades after the indigo=
girls
released their breakout self-titled album, which won a grammy for best folk=
recording and went double-platinum on the strength of the preternaturally
infectious hit single "closer to fine," the decatur, ga.-based folk-rock duo=
is
still at it.
one-time high school friends and longtime musical collaborators amy ray and=
emily saliers are touring this summer in support of their 11th album=
"despite
our differences" and are poised to release an as-yet-untitled album in=
february.
that makes for an abundance of material to cover when they stop in at the
paramount center for the arts tonight, but they enjoy bringing together=
songs
from throughout their career during their live sets.
"we do have the ones that we typically play night after night," saliers says=
by
phone from a massachusetts tour stop. "but then, we're also always trying to=
bring in new material and then also pulling up old songs that maybe fans=
haven't
heard in a while. they always like that and we like it, too. it keeps it
interesting for us. so an old, old song can become new again."
the songs may change, but the duo's songwriting approach stays the same.=
both
songwriters have their own musical sensibility and style and write alone.=
they
don't plan much regarding an album until the songs are written.
"we don't usually go in thinking, let's write a thematic record about this=
or
that," saliers says. "it's basically where the songs take us. ... every once=
in
a while, we'll make a specific goal, like we'd like this record to be more
acoustic rather than electric or bring in a lot of different elements or=
players
or guests, or whatever. but typically, she writes her songs and i write=
mine,
and we get together and arrange them and choose a producer."
yet there is remarkably little contention about what songs will make it onto=
an
album. they had an overabundance of material going into "despite our
differences," with neither one of them wanting to jettison any of their
creations. but they agreed that all were album-worthy tracks and they=
managed to
make them all fit.
"we have a pretty strong democracy," saliers says. "and if the writer feels=
particularly close to (a song) or can't let it go, i think we have a faith
there's a reason for that. and i think it's worked out well for us over the=
years, however we look at it."
the two attended the same elementary school outside of decatur and began
performing together in high school. after brief stints away from home for
college, both returned to attend emory university in atlanta. they resumed
playing together and became the indigo girls in 1985. after releasing the=
album
"strange fire" in 1987, they signed to epic records in 1988, amid a dramatic=
upswing in the popularity of female singer-songwriters.
"i can certainly say that we were part of a trend of (female)=
acoustic-guitar
singer-songwriters, and i'm grateful for that trend," saliers says. "if we
hadn't come along at that time, we probably wouldn't have been able to=
launch
our career as we did. i doubt we would have ever gotten signed to a major=
label.
not that that matters now, but at that point, the whole landscape of the
industry was completely different. and because that music was being focused=
on,
i think people really gave us a listen. and i think that gave us a leg up,=
right
out of the box, which was cool."
the duo has proven to be much more than just a passing fad, though. they've=
received seven grammy nominations, sold more than 12 million records and=
earned
praise from critics and fans alike. they have also made a concerted effort=
to
stretch themselves creatively. ray is releasing a solo album, "didn't it=
feel
kinder," next month. joan osborne has been a frequent collaborator. and on
"despite our differences," pop star pink sang on the track "rock and roll
heaven's gate," in exchange for the duo's appearance on her song "dear mr.
president" on her album "i'm not dead."
the songwriters may strive to keep their sound fresh, but they are still=
drawn
to explore many of the same issues in their songs, including social
responsibility, the rewards of the self-examined life, and the joys and
frustrations of the relationships that sustain us.
"the song that we've been playing live that's new of mine is called 'fleet=
of
hope,' and as you can imagine, it has sort of a nautical theme," saliers=
says.
"the metaphors have to do with the vast sea of danger. it's about lost hope=
and
love, and using the image of poseidon, so it's a little bit mythic. ... it's=
got
a bit of a sea-shanty vibe to it, even though the content is quite serious.=
it's
heavy. there's something contemplative in this group of songs, more so,=
maybe,
as a group of songs, than ever before."
many of their songs are personal, but the duo is passionate about promoting=
social justice, environmental activism, and civic-mindedness during their
concerts and on their web site. they have worked with groups including honor=
the
earth, women's action for new direction and rock the vote. this being an
election year, all of their shows will feature tables where attendees can
register to vote.
the bandmates' commitment to their beliefs and music have not changed over=
the
years, but they are well aware that they now are releasing music in a much
different industry, and world, than when they started.
fortunately for them, many recent developments, such as the diminished focus=
on
major labels and radio play, is in keeping with their own ethos as an indie=
band
that puts their relationship with their fans first. but in the end, there's=
one
person they care the most about impressing when they're writing a new song.
"i remember, when i finished my group of songs and i sent them to her, and=
she
wrote back right away that she loved them, it was a tremendous relief,"=
saliers
says. "because, as much as i may have confidence in my songs and may like=
them,
it's important for me to have her like them as well."
-
do not quote other peoples' entire messages when replying to the list.
indigo girls faq and indigo girls mailing list faq:
http://www.pixelopolis.com/ig
---------------
date: mon, 21 jul 2008 21:56:09 -0400
from: jen cattin <jencattin@comcast.net>
subject: lowell videos
i was at the lowell show too. great night. great weather this year. we =
were seated a bit farther away than we like, but no worries. i had my =
camera, but the lighting wasn't that great from far away, so i turned it =
onto night vision. worked out ok. i took some video as well, mostly =
for the audio part, but the video is interesting, none the less. you =
can find them on youtube. they look pretty black and white. remember, =
they're mostly for the audio.
jen
-
do not quote other peoples' entire messages when replying to the list.
indigo girls faq and indigo girls mailing list faq:
http://www.pixelopolis.com/ig
---------------
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