Eilen Jewell Speaks!

Eilen Jewell (above at the Narrows' "green room" a year or so ago) is coming to the Narrows once again April 25th. And she has a brand new CD! Below is an interview I did with her via email.


I'm hearing that the new CD is a departure for you, in that it has more fast-paced material. Is that how you view it?

I've been having some difficulty describing the new record. It's not so much a departure as it is an elaboration of a few sounds we dabbled in with our last record, Letters from Sinners and Strangers. It definitely doesn't have more fast-paced material. Letters had more of that for sure. It sounds more like "Where They Never Say Your Name" and less like "Blue Highway." That's the best I can do to describe it. You'll just have to hear it and be the judge.

In the studio, how much stuff do you record live, how much overdubbing? Is there anything in the studio that you're doing that can't be reproduced on stage?

Almost all of what we do in the studio is live. I overdub my vocals sometimes, and we always overdub Jason's harmonies so they won't bleed into his drum mics. Other than that, there's very little overdubbing. I do play the organ on the new record, though. And Jerry played the steel. Those had to be overdubbed, since you can't do that and play the guitar at the same time. I'm sure I could reproduce the organ on stage, but so far we haven't tried it yet. Maybe we'll give it a whirl at some point this year. We sound like our records, almost to a tee.

How do you go about writing a tune?

I don't have a formula. Every song is different. Some of them write themselves, some of them are based on words that came to me while I was asleep or half asleep. Some of them live in the back of my head for years until I finally figure out how they want to sound. One thing I have noticed though is that I write best when there's a deadline.

What is the fun part of being on the road? What are the perils?

The fun part of being on the road is performing when the sound is good on stage and the audience is warm and receptive--especially when you're in a town you've never been to before. I love seeing new places. The perils...mostly other drivers are the bummer. I swear people drive so poorly they must be trying to kill us.

Saw you on a Boston television station playing solo at a senior citizen home. That was very nice of you! You seemed to be getting great reaction too.

You're probably thinking of a show I did at the Boston Home--a care center for people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and similar conditions. People did seem to enjoy it, and I loved seeing that in their faces. Music can do so much to bring people out of their rut, even sad songs like mine are uplifting.

You're originally from the west--Idaho I think. But you're based on the East Coast. Do you miss the west?

I am from Idaho, and I do miss it terribly. I love the East Coast too though, and I do get homesick for Boston when we're away for long stretches. I think the key will be to have an Idaho home base and a Boston one...maybe one in Spain too someday.

People coming to the show at the Narrows--what should they expect?

They should expect to have a good time. That's what we're doing. And they can also plan on hearing a lot of new songs. Sea of Tears will be available for sale there, for the first time in world history!