Submitted by tellthemadmin on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 17:19
Musician, Singer, Songwriter Natasha James speaks to our Sarah Emily for TellThemCountry.com
Hailing from Northern California, Natasha James has definitely been making herself known!
Not only with her album, Tequila Time still going strong, debuting at #20 on the Roots Chart and staying on the chart for 14 months, she is now embarking on a new European Tour. With her mix of country and bluesy rock, this woman is certainly one to look out for.
Natasha has very kindly taken some time out though, to do a special interview just for Tell Them Country, telling us all about her new tour, the ever strong album and what her hopes are for 2011...................
Who were your idols when you were young? Who/What inspired you??
I didn't really have idols. When I was very young, I listened, played and sang to the records my mother had around the house, which was mostly old folk music, both American and Irish, and old blues. So, Susan Reed, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bessie Smith, Odetta, Nina Simone...then when I was older, I of course listened to what was then rock and roll, mostly: The Lovin Spoonful, Buffalo Springfield, the Stones, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Janis, Jimi...I think our generation was shaped by Dylan, Janis and Jimi and the grand backdrop being the Beatles and Stones.
I have always like the swampy side of country and blues and that comes out in Tequila Time, and actually, that is my favourite rock as well...my favourite Stones albums are Exile on Main Street and Beggars Banquet, which have allot of that. I love Lynnyrd Skynnyrd, The Allman Bros, ZZ Top, then the mellow stuff like John Prine, Robert Earl Keen and my latest favourite, Amos Lee.
You write your own music and lyrics, where do you get your ideas? What kind of process do you use, if any, when writing?
Usually I have an idea for a song and out it comes. Alot of songs I have written in the shower then quickly gotten to my guitar and worked it out...choruses, bridges, little riffs with the melody and lyrics...some I have written on the piano, but none of those have made it to vinyl. (yet) Sometimes I have awakened with a song running through my head and sometimes I am driving in my car and out it comes...there is really no process. Some songs have been around half-baked for years and eventually come out, some have been combined to make one good song...I prefer the ones that just pop out - but don't we all?
My ideas? An amalgam of my own life, people around me, it all melds into one - always there is a preoccupation with what makes us tick, what makes us feel.
I try to make sure the song has good movement, that it doesn't stall or lose energy in the wrong places; that's a feel thing. It has got to be charged from beginning to end. I can be pretty ruthless editing myself. It is hard to edit out a great bit that is unnecessary for the song. I try to remember those little ditties cause maybe I can use them somewhere else.
You are currently on tour? are there any places you are really looking forward to going?
I just got back from Europe and I had not been since before the Euro. It was really strange, no borders on the trains...I look forward to everywhere. It is always exciting to discover new things in a city or town each time you go and I look forward to the next time we are back, hopefully for a 2 month tour with a few days off to look round. Touring is a strenuous undertaking and it is hard to get to see all you want to in a place and do your job as well.
Tell us a bit about your newest album, Tequila Time? What can people expect and look forward to from this album?
Tequila Time has actually been out awhile now and has stayed on the charts over 14 months with some record numbers. According to the reviews, it is a solid disc and I get compared to Gram Parsons frequently, which is a huge compliment. It is solid bluesy country rock and borrowing from some old Delta traditions, and my influences from the likes of John Lee Hooker, etc...AINT DONE NOTHIN WRONG which is really all in one key, only I am riding the A string down under that constant E string D string rhythm creating the tension of movement, the illusion that it is more than a one chord song. That was quite typical in old blues player’s songs.
You were recently award the producer’s choice, Country Songwriter of the Year. How did you feel about that??
It is always great to win any award, but a Songwriter Award is particularly dear to my heart. It feels so much more worthwhile when people really notice the songs. When I got back off the road, my family had hung the gold awards on the wall of our rehearsal room, that was a really cool feeling, seeing them all in a row, hung up. Gave me heart, like what I was doing was important to them, too.
And finally, what does 2011 hold for you? What are you looking forward to? What are you NOT looking forward to? Plans? Dreams? Hopes? Fears?
I have a new record coming out, My Country Has The Blues, and am right now working on a new distribution deal for this plus the 2 prior records which should bring a little more light to our work, specifically in the UK. Wish me luck!
I lived in London years ago and would love to return with this next CD. Also, I have been asked to write for various reality TV shows and I hope that my material continues to draw interest for the shows and that we get more and more placements.
My hopes? That my family and I are happy and healthy and make wise decisions with not just music but our lives as well. I hope that we as a species get a handle on our treatment of each other and the planet. I hope to write songs that continue to resonate for people and feed their hearts, souls and minds. I hope to be able to remain healthy enough to tour widely so I can play for the people that want to come see me, that have written asking me to please play their town, their country etc..It is a big beautiful world; I would love to see as much as possible in my lifetime and play as many wonderful places as become available for me to do.
Thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions. Your readers are welcome to write to me anytime. I have a mailing list at www.reverbnation.com/natashajames, and I do write back!
Natasha
www.natashajames.com
