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“Downtown Lullaby” Live Acoustic Video
To give you a preview of one of my new songs, I recorded a live acoustic version of “Downtown Lullaby” in my apartment in Greenwich Village, NYC. There’s also a quick interview where I talk about how the song got recorded for the album (though this is a live version, not the official recorded version).
Nashville
I’m down in Nashville this week for some business meetings, and it’s been awesome to be back in Music City. Last night I managed to get out to a little dive on the edge of town to see the Wooten Brothers play. The weather has been crazy, with major lightning storms cutting out power around the city, and buckets of rain falling in ten minute bursts. I fly back to New York tomorrow, weather permitting.
Striking a Chord Screening in MA
Tonight I had a screening and performance of “Striking a Chord” at the Memorial Town Hall in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. The Q+A section after the film was especially interesting this time, since there were family members of servicemen and women in the audience who were able to weigh in on the psychological implications of the troops fighting unpopular wars, and enduring multiple deployments and long times away from their families. In a liberal town like Shelburne Falls, it was nice to stress again the importance of removing all political implications and opinions from the dialog about supporting our troops. My performing for our soldiers was never an endorsement of the wars America is embroiled in. By removing politics from the discussion I was able to get to the heart of the matter, which was meeting the brave men and women out there on the front lines, and connecting with them on an essentially human level through the universal language of music.
Charity Event Tonight with John Mayer
I flew back to New York City to appear at a charity event tonight with John Mayer at the Highline Ballroom, to benefit troops suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. John played an acoustic set to a very intimate audience, and showed a 20 minute clip of “Striking A Chord,” which he was very moved by. The night was organized by Nile Rogers’ We Are Family Foundation, and I was so happy to see Nile looking healthy and well after his radical surgery to battle cancer. I also met Steve van Zandt from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, who told me he loved my music and what I had done, at which point I turned into a puddle on the floor, and somehow managed to get someone to take a photo of us together (thanks Marc Birnbach). Best of all I got to see my dear friend Lt Colonel Scott Rainey again, who was the man that brought me to Iraq both times and who I’ve stayed in close contact with.
Round Two in the Studio!
Round Two in the Studio! The band-that-can and I are back at State of the Ark in Richmond. Being in the studio may be my favorite activity on earth. After all the touring, it’s great to have the quiet and reflection and excitement of creating something new. We’ve got five days to record eight songs, and then will do overdubs at Mark’s studio at Metrophonic as before. I’m bouncing off the walls.
Flying back to London from New York
Today I fly back to London from New York to continue work on the new album. Mark and I have got lots of pre-production to do, and need to pick the next eight songs to record.
Screening of Susan Rockefeller’s documentary “Striking A Chord”
My friends at Hesso Media threw me a fun birthday party on March 8 in London, and then the following week I flew back home to New York to see my family. There was a screening of Susan Rockefeller’s Iraq documentary “Striking A Chord” in Amherst, Massachusetts that I played and spoke at. I went to high school in Amherst, and hadn’t performed there since I left at 18. It was pretty validating to see my name up in lights on the marquee, especially since I felt so insecure and unhappy in this town as a teenager. The director of my high school musicals came out to see the show, and it was one of those moments of, “oh wow, look how far I’ve come.” But the real joy was seeing the faces of the brave troops I was privileged to have met, finally up there on the big screen. It’s so rare to see a human side of our soldiers, since often they are used as political pawns in whatever bipartisan media war is going on back home. This was the first screening I got to be a part of, even though the documentary has already been making the rounds at film festivals.
Event with Janice Dickinson for London Fashion Week
Did an event with Janice Dickinson for London Fashion Week tonight. She was actually a very nice lady, but it was pretty weird standing next to the world’s first supermodel, who’s still skinny as a 10-speed bike and about 7 feet tall. Thank God I’m a musician.
Meeting Mark Knopfler on the Jimmy Webb tour
Just finished up the last tour dates with Jimmy Webb, Oklahoma songwriting legend now based in New York. We got to be friends along the way, and I was trying to pick up tips for how he wrote all those classics like “Wichita Lineman,” “McArthur Park,” “Up Up and Away,” and “Galveston.” At the Queen Elizabeth Hall show, Jimmy’s friend Mark Knopfler was there, and without knowing it was me, he said to Jimmy, “did you hear that opening act? She had a voice as big as a house! Made the sound system sound great.” Well, well, Mark, I aim to please. After a few weeks on the road though, I’m glad to be home in my London apartment.
Bob Dylan tribute in Glasgow with Roseanne Cash
Finished up a wee tour of Scotland with the Bob Dylan tribute night in Glasgow. Roseanne Cash was also on the bill, and she is one cool chick. I loved her purple velvet shoes. The band and I played “Just Like A Woman” and “All Along the Watchtower” and Roseanne apparently tweeted that I was her favorite of the night. Hot damn. Radio DJ and friend Bob Harris hosted the evening. Highlights of the evening are being broadcast on Sky Arts, and on Bob Harris’ BBC Radio 2 show.
Round One in the Studio!
Round One in the Studio! Thanks to the radio airplay from my last record, I’ve got just enough savings to record the first four songs in the studio. Producer Mark Taylor has put together a great group of musicians, all good friends but incredible session players in their own right. Ash Soan is on drums, Ben Epstein is on bass, Patrick Mascall is fiddling with knobs and fussing over his amps, playing baritone guitar and electric guitar, Adam Phillips is on electric guitar, Andy Wallace is playing piano, Wurlitzer and B3 Hammond Organ, and Ren Swan is engineering. It’s a real band feel, as everyone knows each other and we’re going for a live sound. We’re going to record at State of the Ark in Richmond, London. They have the most amazing vintage equipment, with an old EMI board in the control room that the Stones used. Mick and Keith have scratched their names into the fader tracks. We’ve got three days to do the first four tracks of the album, and then will do all overdubs back at Mark’s studio at Metrophonic.
Classic Americana delivered in a cinematic film-noir setting
Mark Taylor, an incredibly talented Grammy-winning producer who’s had several #1 hits in America and the UK with Cher and James Morrisson, has started pre-production work with me on my new album. It’s a coup to get him involved, and this is a passion project for him (translation: there’s no budget, but he’s giving it his all because he believes in the songs). My main co-writer Patrick Mascall and I have been meeting with Mark to discuss what sonic direction we want to go in, which is basically T Bone Burnett meets Daniel Lanois. I love the idea of classic Americana delivered in a cinematic film-noir setting. We keep listening to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss “Raising Sand,” as well as Plant’s new album “Band of Joy.” It’s like a contemporary version of the old classics, soaked in reverb and baritone guitars. How ironic to be a girl from Brooklyn making music with a bunch of Brits that sounds like an album recorded in Nashville.
Packed show at the Borderline
Played a packed show at the Borderline in London tonight. Thanks to everyone who came out. My parents were visiting in town, and you made me look real good.
