New Orleans’ Esther Rose is on a journey of self-discovery. Open to the world and its cultural history, Rose is a conduit for the old country & western to find its way into the new Americana. However, she does not boil it down.
Like the great chefs of Louisiana, she puts it in the pot with a wealth of other influences. “You Made It This Far” (from upstart indie label Father/Daughter Records) feels very live and in-the-moment. Instruments listen and respond to her storytelling.
"You Made It This Far" calls on the past, but is no "revivalist" record.
Pine Belt News: Your songs feel more personal, less like journal entries and more like thumbnail sketches of episodes in your life. When you are writing songs, are you thinking about writing or more occupied with encapsulating the “feeling” that compelled you to write in the first place?
Esther Rose: Someone once told me that my songs are like photographs. I'll try to answer you as best as I can, but writing about writing is difficult! I use songwriting as a way to investigate people, places, memories, emotions. But most of the "feeling" comes from the melody. The words on the page aren't very profound, on their own.
PBN: This is a very bright record and a very live recording. When you were making it, was there a lot of attention on the energy and getting that right as you went to tape?
ER: I like recording live to tape because there is a ton of energy and focus in the room to not make a mistake. If you mess up, the engineers have to rewind the tape and you start over. It's a very intense process. But I think it draws out something beautiful from the band. We aren't robots, so there are little tiny imperfections in each song, just like when we play live at shows.
PBN: Your influences are different than most Americana types. When you dig deep into say traditional country music, who lights your fire?
ER: Hank Williams Sr., Roger Miller, Tom T. Hall.
PBN: And when you step away from the Americana/country axis, what are several of the unexpected influences you feel permeating your writing and recording?
ER: It's impossible to comprehend just how much music I have listened to in my lifetime, but I know it has left a great impact on my subconsciousness. So to sum it up for the sake of this, a few artists that I listened to obsessively as a young person were The Beatles, Lauryn Hill, Radiohead, Digable Planets, Against Me!
PBN: Is there a song you are most proud of on this album?
ER: “Handyman” is so special to me. I was timid to share it with my band, for some reason I had convinced myself that it was "too weird". So I finally played it for the band on the morning of our recording session and they really took to it. We only played the song through a couple times before we recorded it. It sounds fresh and romantic, and still very weird.
PBN: How did you get hooked up with Father/Daughter?
ER: A & R guru Tyler Andere reached out to me. I think they heard about me through a friend of a friend. I love that sharing music with your friends is still the very best thing for an artist's "exposure". It totally demystifies the music industry if you think about it like that.
PBN: Who are you listening to these days?
ER: Faustina Masigot's debut record on Mama Bird Recording Co. is astounding. She came through New Orleans and played at my friend's house concert series. I'm so glad I bought her tape cassette; I probably flip that tape at least four times a day. It's a very balanced, introspective, joyful record. Her voice is patient. I highly recommend at least a dozen listens.
PBN: What's next? Are you busy writing songs? How do you view the general direction of the next album on the horizon?
ER: I wrote and recorded a new album last winter. I had a lot on my mind. I'm mixing it now.
PBN: You are stacking up some fine reviews for "You Made It This Far." Critical acclaim goes a long way in Americana circles. Who would you like to hear your record and to those who have not listened yet - how would you briefly introduce it to them?
ER: It is my dream to share a pack of smokes and a bottle of wine with Joni Mitchell. Sorry, I know I didn't really answer your question, I just needed to put that out there.
