Getting to Know. . . THEA HOPKINS
 by Kathy S-B  ·  7 August 2007

Thea Hopkins was a me&thee coffeehouse “Fresh Voice” in 2006. Her latest recording, “Chickasaw” has been receiving airplay on folk music programs across the country. Thea’s songs tell of American romance and tragedy in modern terms. Folk icons Peter, Paul & Mary recorded one of her songs, “Jesus Is On The Wire” on their album “In These Times,” and described the song as a “compelling composition with a riveting story-telling style. This is one of the most important songs we have sung in recent years.” Thea’s music speaks to the soul. All of her songs are graceful, elegant, and sophisticated in a way that is not always typical in this genre. Listen to some of her music on her website.

You call your music “American Short Story Folk.” The stories that you tell are little vignettes that are convincingly expressed by what I’d call a musical intimacy with your audience. Your voice and lyrics work together beautifully to pull the listener in and make them want to hear more. It’s like you’re telling each and every one of them a little musical secret that no one else knows.

Thank you. I love both story-telling and poetic imagery, and this album is more clearly involved with narrative than my 1st album was. I don’t like to tell too much, so that people can fill some of the details in their own minds. But I also try not to baffle people with too many abstractions. Sometimes, as in “Chickasaw,” I don’t exactly approve of the actions of my characters… in that case, murdering a cheating lover. But my characters can take over.

The songs on your latest CD “Chickasaw” cover a range of topics including a couple of politically-tinged songs, especially “River of Fire.” What prompted you to write this chilling tune?

The Bush administration. I was very affected by a conversation I had with a friend concerning the Iraq war and God-fearing Christians. I woke up in the middle of the night with 90% of the lyrics in my head and jotted them down. I fiddled with the chorus for awhile until I got it where I wanted it. Even though there have been war-mongering “religious” politicians before this current administration, there’s never been a more frightening combination of religious righteousness and political evil in America.

You’ve reprised “Jesus Is On the Wire” on this recording, a poignant song about the hate crime slaying of Matthew Shepherd due to his sexual orientation. Having Peter, Paul, and Mary record this song must be one of the most satisfying experiences of your lifetime. I suppose it’s an understatement to say how honored you must be to have them sing your song.

Having Peter, Paul and Mary perform the song, never mind record it, was both an amazing surprise and honor. They started performing the tune just five months after I released it on my debut album, “Birds of Mystery” in 2001. It was an incredible affirmation. I reprised “Jesus Is On the Wire” because I had written a different third verse for the song, completing the story of Matthew Sheperd. Boston jazz pianist Tim Ray, who I knew from his extensive work with Lyle Lovett, and young cello star Natalie Haas brought out the song’s drama beautifully. The new arrangement is very different from my first version, too, which I also loved.

The songs “Jenny Danced” and “Newspaper Wings” are quite unlike your political songs. These strike me as pure and simple nostalgia pieces — songs about your childhood or that of someone you knew growing up. Do you have magical memories from your childhood?

Jenny Danced,” “Newspaper Wings” and “The Edge of Geary” are all semi-autobiographical. “Jenny Danced” was inspired by my dance experiences. I studied ballet from the time I was six years old into my young adulthood. The experience of divorce on a child is one that a lot of people can relate to. That song is also about celebrating the resiliency of children. “Newspaper Wings” is very autobiographical. “The Edge of Geary” is a memory from my adolescence, about the innocence, wonder and loss of childhood friendship. My childhood was spent in the small town of Shrewsbury and the countrified suburbs of Worcester.

Your musical influences are cited on your myspace page and I am not surprised to see songwriters like Greg Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Patty Griffin and Leonard Cohen. What short story writers have influenced you?

Carson McCullers, John Updike, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Philip Roth, James Baldwin, Richard Ford, Denis Johnson, Annie Proulx, Haruki Murakami, Flannery O’Connor, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty, Bernard Malamud, Raymond Carver, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Katherine Anne Porter, O. Henry, Cynthia Ozick and Tennessee Williams, to name several.