----------------------------------------------------------------------
date: sun, 18 jan 2009 16:06:51 +1100
from: sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.com>
subject: amy interview from the arizona republic
hey folks,
here's an amy interview from the arizona republic. you can read it online=
at=
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/articles/2009/01/16/20090116amyray.html.=
cheers,
sherlyn
---begin forwarded article---
1/25: amy ray, the butchies
by michael senft - jan. 16, 2009 11:50 am
special for the republic
amy ray may be one half of the superstar acoustic duo indigo girls, but=
don't expect honeyed harmonies or sweet folk music when she visits martini=
ranch on jan. 25.
instead, ray will be turning up the amps with members of lesbian punk band=
the butchies.
"it's been awhile since i've worked with the butchies so it's exciting to=
see them again," she says. "they backed me up on my first solo tour in=
2001."
ray insists her solo career isn't as far a departure as it may seem.
"i've been listening to punk and hard rock since high school. emily=
(saliers, ray's partner in indigo girls) and i started listening to folk=
music when we were very young, but by our senior year in high school i had=
discovered the clash and the replacements," she says. "and when indigo=
girls started, we were lumped in with college rock bands like r.e.m. and=
10,000 maniacs. we weren't associated with pop folk; alternative rock was=
more relevant to what we were doing."
since 2000, ray has explored her hard-rocking roots on a series of solo=
albums. her third, didn't feel kinder, hit stores in august.
"its another outlet - one that i've needed for a long time," she says of her=
solo career. "there are some times i just need to rock out. the indigo=
girls song touch me fall (from 1994's swamp ophelia album) was an early=
example of that side of my songwriting trying to break loose."
but while her previous solo albums have been straight-ahead punk, didn't it=
feel kinder finds ray delving into the history of rock and roll, from the=
soulful she's got to be to the laid-back out on the farm.
"it really runs the gamut," she says. "rather than working on it as an=
album, we worked on each song individually - finding the best style and=
sound for each song."
she also credits the diversity to her backup band, which in addition to the=
butchies, features the indie-rock band arizona.
"i heard them through an intern at my record label, daemon records," she=
says of arizona. "i was fascinated by their sound and asked them to work on=
the album. they'll be joining me on tour, but ironically they aren't going=
to be at the shows in arizona."
the solo career is also a chance for ray to scale down her shows, playing=
intimate clubs as opposed to theatres.
"the smaller the better," she says. "i love playing clubs. the intimacy is=
something you lose as you get bigger. but i also have no illusions: my solo=
work does not have the audience that indigo girls has, and it has been hard=
work building a following for my solo work. i'm humbled by the response=
it's received so far though."
don't expect to hear any of your indigo girls favorites at the show,=
however.
"there is a song which i perform solo on the upcoming indigo girls album=
(poseidon and the bitter bug, due in march) that we are talking about=
working up a band arrangement for. but we aren't doing anything i did with=
emily," she says.
"it wouldn't feel right without her harmonies."
--
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: sun, 18 jan 2009 16:11:54 +1100
from: sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.com>
subject: amy interview from northeast mississippi daily journal
hey folks,
here's another interview, from the northeast mississippi daily journal. =
online at=
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?id=3d284621&pub=3d1&div=3dlifestyles.
cheers,
sherlyn
---begin forwarded article---
grabbing the solo spotlight
1/15/2009 11:27:21 am
by sheena barnett
daily journal
amy ray's list of resolutions for 2009 is pretty long. first off, the=
singer-songwriter, one-half of the indigo girls, is kicking off her tour in=
support of her third solo record, "didn't it feel kinder."
then the indigo girls will release a new cd, and the pair will tour for=
that.
ray is also wrapping up a live dvd that will chronicle her solo efforts.
"i'm planning on taking a break in 2010," ray said in a phone interview. "i=
don't like to leave things hanging."
diverse sounds
"didn't it feel kinder" follows ray's previous solo cds, "prom" and "stag,"=
but this was the first time she worked with a producer on her music.
"i had a producer on this, greg griffith, who's awesome," ray said. "he=
totally changed me and totally helped me move through a different level."
he helped ray craft each song as individual songs rather than together as a=
complete album. that led to each song having a different sound but with a=
cohesive feel.
ray said the music on "didn't it feel kinder" reflects her eclectic musical=
tastes.
"i didn't try to have one sound for the whole record. we said, what is the=
emotional heart of the song, and how do we reflect that musically?" ray=
said. "i listen to a lot of punk and alternative, and i really love folk=
music, and i love old classic rock and i love hip-hop, so it's all in=
there."
on-going projects
ray is working with a pal on creating a live dvd, which she hopes to release=
later this year.
"we're about 75 percent of the way through, but we wanted to include stuff=
from the new record ... it'll cover all three records and road footage and=
the band and me," she said.
when ray isn't making music, she said she loves being a southerner.
"i live in a small north georgia rural town, and i spend a lot of time=
hiking and being outside. i have apple and pear trees, so i do a lot of=
pruning," she said.
she said she loves the south and playing for southern audiences.
"they're different (from other audiences) in the best way possible," ray=
said. "they really force you to be yourself. you can't get away with being=
pretentious, and they give you an honest feedback."
ray promises a good time at her solo shows.
"my band is amazing - they're better than me," she said. "it's just a good=
time and i think the whole point of the show is to feel better when you=
leave."
appeared originally in the northeast mississippi daily journal, 1/15/2009,=
section b , page 12
--
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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