Wednesday, January 23, 2008

RebelCityMusic.com


Tracey Amos Interview

By: Simóne Banks

“..Music is without boundaries to me, and the definitions of it tend to detract from the expression more and more.” Spoken from the lips of a true revolutionary; Tracey Amos is the new voice of reason, the reason of who we really are.

Her debut album, Who Are We Really, answers the many questions about life, love and why we do the things we do; to ourselves and the ones we love. With establishing roots in L.A. by way of Philly, Amos breaks the barrier of music with an album that transcends through any genre or classification.

Sensitive and inviting, one could only imagine what it would be like to sit across from this beauty and inquire why such songs like; Sleeping with Addiction is one of her favorites. “That is a heavy song for me, one of my favorites to perform. It is very personal as it is about the most pivotal relationship in my life; but it is also more than that. I like to make my lyrics open to interpretation because we all share the same experience in different forms.”

Her inspiration is life; the everyday, the known and unknown, the experiences from interactions that cause joy, pain, happiness and fear. Respectfully, this is why her album is titled Who Are We Really. “I’ve wanted to know ever since I was little why we are alive? What are we doing here, and what really is the point? I have my perspective but I want to know where others are coming from.”

Her musical roots began in a small east coast town, where she states was part hippie. Born to conservative parents that encouraged her and her sisters to sing and dance, she began to experiment with song writing and later formed a rock band, The Cherry Project with friends in junior high. When asked what attracted her to rock and roll then and if it is the same for her now, she expresses that it is the honesty of the pain and passion of letting out all the angst minus the candy coating. Her expectation of realness through music stems from her discovery of jazz music. She explains that jazz music opened her eyes in understanding that music is universal. “Songs usually come to me when I am driving or showering or playing etc., so I try to stay in the zone and get all the goodies while I am flowing. Also break-ups and hard times bring out a lot, though, I try not to do that too much, but I get great songs then as well.”

Her sincerity is displayed through her lyrics with songs like Definition of Love, and Standing but overall you feel her passion and energy in songs such as Prepare to Die and Tear it Down. Tracey Amos, the mere definition of passion, struggle, and success.

Check out Tracey Amos at www.traceyamos.com or www.myspace.com/traceyamos to hear tracks or to purchase music.

No comments: