Quick Q and A with Patty Larkin
 by Kathy S-B  ·  28 January 2013

Performing Songwriter got it right. They called Patty Larkin a “drop dead brilliant guitar player, a richly textural singer, a commanding, poetic songwriter, a hilarious and personable entertainer.” Yes, all combined into one fantastic performer. Patty never fails to amaze me. Her fingers fly up and down the fretboard, her lyrics exude honesty, her style is beyond classy. In this little interview, Patty tells us a bit about her latest CD, gives us a mini-lesson about looping and alerts us to some news about her next recording project!

When you first decided to put together a collaborative CD to commemorate your 25 years in the music business, how did you go about selecting the songs?

I wanted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of my first album, Step Into The Light, with a thank you to all of the people who have supported me through the years. It seemed appropriate to choose love songs as the theme for such a collection of material. I had been asked to record acoustic versions of my songs, so that set the parameters for 25.

The recording process for 25 was very 21st century in that you sent your guitar and vocal tracks to all the guest musicians and left them up to their own musical whims. Were you surprised by any of the results?

Yes! I describe the process as akin to getting a message in the bottle. I would record my guitar and vocals and send it out and wait. We would have a heads up that something was coming from a particular artist on a particular day, and I would wait for FedEx to arrive. It was such a gift to have these amazing artists join me on my songs. I cried often at the beauty of it, the time spent and the interpretations they created. Jonatha Brooke’s track was a reinvention of “Only One,” David Wilcox sang a beautiful vocal on “The Cranes” that was very Nick Drake, Suzanne Vega sounds so much like Suzanne Vega on “Pablo Neruda” that I was thrilled, Rosanne Cash did a gorgeous vocal on “Closest Thing.” I could go on. . . . The other aspect of 25 that was really astounding was that I toured and did shows with many of the artists on the CD during that 2010/2011 25th year. It was enlightening and fun, and like a reunion musically and personally for me. All positive.

One song that I’m very struck by is the opening one, “Lately” with Martin Sexton. Martin is known for not only his amazing range but also his ability to whistle with the best of them. The whistling fits so perfectly! Have you played that song together before or was that impromptu with this recording?

No, that was all him. I was unaware of his admirable whistling, and he took the song to new heights between that and his soulful vocals.

Your music has evolved in some very cool and maybe some unexpected ways. The two studio albums before 25 (Watch the Sky and Red=Luck) were recordings where it was just you playing all the instruments and singing all the vocals. This gives you a lot of control over your schedule as well as the final results. Do you enjoy working like this as much as recording the “old-fashioned” way?

Actually, Red=Luck had many talented artists on it, including Merrie Amsterburg, Jennifer Kimball, Ben Wittman, etc. I have recorded every studio project here in my studio, mixing elsewhere, since 1997. Watch the Sky was the CD that I played/sang/engineered and produced on my own. It was revelatory.

I found that I pushed myself to new heights, and I also realized my limitations. I think the technology is such that it makes a lot of sense for musicians to record on their own, the only thing is — you’re on your own! I will continue to turn that stone over as I go forward on the project I’m recording now.

Tell us about looping. The last few times I’ve had the pleasure of seeing you live, you’ve used a looper to supplement your sound. It looks like something that one has to learn how to use effectively or else you could end up with some rather “interesting” results. Did it take you a while to get used to using it or did you take it quickly?

Yes, looping is all the rage — it’s a way of sampling music “on the fly” and setting up a loop so that it repeats and you can play along with yourself. Actually, I think Tim Buckley used to set up tape loops live back in the day. It’s now used everywhere in recording and on stage. There is a steep learning curve, indeed, and you just have to make sure nobody gets hurt when the thing falls apart. It took me about a year to feel comfortable with it — and that was after looking at the gear in the box for two years! It’s fun, and can be used as a writing tool. Looping live allows me to set up some textures that are similar to my studio recordings. I keep it pretty organic, though, to fit in with the primarily acoustic aspect of my shows.

Do you have any plans brewing for a new project?

Yes. I’m recording a project called Down Through The Wood. It’s a collection of three suites of songs. We are planning a release in June 2013.

Here’s a video of one of my favorite Patty tunes — “Tango.”

Quick Q and A with Rollyn Zoubek (from Maeve)
 by Kathy S-B  ·  19 January 2013

I have to admit. I am a sucker for harmony. I can’t harmonize myself - at least I don’t think I can — but I admire anyone who can do it. To me, the interplay between human voices is as close to musical heaven as you can get. You’ve no doubt heard about those angels who sing on high — especially during the Christmas season. Well, take a listen to Rollyn Zoubek, Rachel Taylor, and Courtney Reid — the three women who make up Maeve. It’ll be love at first sound. Rollyn answered some of my questions here!

Maeve’s vocals are key to your sound. How do you decide who sings what?

Each of us are first and foremost vocalists, and we all picked up other instruments (guitar and piano) later in life in order to accompany the vocals. Having grown up singing in the church, we also share a love for harmony. Courtney and I joke about how the hymns were always written for sopranos and therefore too high for us to sing. In order to sing along and have it sound half-way decent we had to learn to find our own harmony parts. Arranging vocals for our songs is usually the most fun part of the creative process for us. We try our best to find a vocal arrangement that serves the song. For example, Rachel wrote a song called “Benediction” that has an older, back-porch feel to it. We decided that singing three-part harmony all the way through was a good fit for the song. Courtney wrote a song called “Just Want to Forget” that is about running into an old boyfriend at the mall. In that song she takes the lead because she is the primary story teller. My personal favorite style of vocal arranging is using counter-melodies much like you hear in older Indigo Girls songs. “Magnificat” from our Christmas record is a great example of that.

You’ve been playing together for over a decade now., Does your repertoire change from time to time?

We have been singing and writing together for eleven years and have recorded five records. Up until two years ago we were writing together regularly and constantly changing our repertoire. Then we hit some bumps in the road- Courtney lost her sister to cervical cancer, and Rachel and I both had new babies at home. It became difficult to find the time and energy we used to have to write new songs together, but we were still able to keep performing which kept us connected. Recently the urge to write together again has arisen and we are feeling inspired! We are hoping to share some new songs at the Me and Thee on Feb. 1st.

Are there songs that you haven’t played in a long time that you’d like to revisit and come up with something new to make them interesting to sing again?

I love that you asked this question because Rachel and I have been having a lot of fun lately listening to some of our older records and re-discovering songs that we used to love to play that somehow got left behind. We have been experimenting with a few for the Me and Thee show. You can expect to hear at least two oldies in a new form!

Tell us about songwriting. Do all three of you write? Are any of you involved with any other musical configurations at the moment?

Yes, we do all write. During the past two years that Maeve has been taking a song-writing break, both Courtney and Rachel have released solo records of their own music (check out www.racheltaylormusic.com and www.courtneyreidmusic.com). Jim Trick, Rachel and I have also participated in a fun song-writing exercise (along with a handful of other song- writing friends) called “Song-a-Day In May,” during which we each attempt to write a song every day during the month of May. After each song is written we make a quick video of the song and upload to a private YouTube channel for the other writers to hear. It’s really fun and challenging and a bonding experience to share with the other writers. The range of topics that come up over the course of the month is amazing. Every year there’s one that gets everyone on the floor laughing. This past may it was Jim’s song “Chicken Ceasar Wrap Rap.” Maybe he’ll share that song with the Me and Thee audience!

Many of your songs are religious, yet they also speak to audience members who may not hold the same beliefs as you do. I’d say that’s a compliment because your music is a gift and you bring joy to so many — not just those who are Christian. Was the desire to sing songs of praise the common element that brought all three of you together in the first place?

Thank you, that is a compliment, and it is our hope that our music might bring hope and joy to people of many different walks of life. As I mentioned earlier, we all grew up singing in church. Courtney and Rachel are pastor’s kids. Faith is big part of each of our lives and therefore it is often a theme when we write together. We all believe that music is a gift from God and that it is our gift to share. Faith is the common element that brought us together and keeps us together after all these years.

More information about Maeve is at their website.

Quick Q and A with Jim Trick
 by Kathy S-B  ·  19 January 2013

Jim Trick is a Marblehead man about town. Everyone seems to know him. He’s not only a Marblehead businessman/​optician but also a motivational/​inspirational speaker and as if that wasn’t enough, he writes some fabulous music and sings and plays guitar whenever he has the chance. His music carries many meaningful messages to his audiences, bringing hope and joy to all who listen.

How would you describe your music?

It’s some blend of alt neo-folk meets alt country. I don’t think it would be unreasonable to add thoughtful pop into the mix, though the mere mention of that “p” word sends some folks running for the hills.

Who are your most important musical influences?

Bruce Cockburn’s work is very important to me. His unique approach to the acoustic guitar I find very inspirational, as is his ability to turn life experiences into songs. I’m the youngest of 5 by a minimum of ten years. My brother’s rooms were wall to wall with vinyl and I’ve always loved the Beatles. I was raised on the good stuff.

I understand that you have done considerable work as a speaker at churches, retreats, and workshops. What prompted you to get into this kind of work?

When I was 13 my mother and I watched as my dad suffered a massive brain stem stroke in a Boston train station. Our faith really got us through that time and I don’t think I even really understood the impact that had on me until I was a young adult. Helping people to the redemptive aspects of God is important to me and opportunities have always come my way.

My parents never forced faith down my throat and I was encouraged to ask tough questions. I know it’s the opposite for a lot of folks. Seems like the more parents push the more kids run away. My parents didn’t push and I think that’s part of why my curiosity stayed strong.

You’ve received kudos from all over about how well you interact with your audiences and form “community” through your words and music. That’s a real gift. What’s your most memorable experience doing this kind of work?

I wrote a song several years ago called “The Blessing.” It’s about the relationship between one of my brothers and my dad. I feel like that song is always bigger than the moment when it is sung and the reaction it gets reminds me that as songwriters we have the chance to do more than entertain. I love that about this part of my work.

Jim, you have worked here in Marblehead as our local optician for over a decade. What’s it like to be performing here?

Great question Kathy! In many respects my musical life has been a double life of sorts. It’s not unusual for me to be off someplace playing or speaking to pretty big audiences and then to be back at the office, wearing tan pants and adjusting glasses. Rachel Taylor and I played as a duo at the Festival of the Arts this summer and the reaction was great. No one tried to run us out with torches and pitch forks so I feel safe playing here.

I’d also add that I LOVE the me&thee! We have seen several of our favorite artists there and I’m excited to be on the other side of the mic!

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