Quick Q and A with Heather Maloney
 by Kathy S-B  ·  15 October 2011

I first became aware of Heather Maloney a year or maybe two ago when I heard she was playing some cool gigs in western MA. I listened. I paid attention. I knew she was someone who I’d like to check in on in the future. I tucked the information away as I often do . . . and then felt validated when I heard a song by her on WUMB. Yes, I thought! That’s the woman I’ve know about for a while. I had just booked the Parkington Sisters and knew that it would be a match made in heaven. I know you’ll agree.

Heather is a unique voice. She’s someone you need to get to know. Trust me. To learn more about Heather, check out her website. And here’s a video of Heather doing her thing. Enjoy!

You’re a classically trained vocalist. Tell us how you went from opera to jazz and then to the style you have now?

I didn’t really go from classical to jazz, those interests overlapped, though my formal studies started first in classical singing. I felt at the time that the two styles were complementary; classical training being very specific in understanding the mechanics of the voice and a practice rooted in tried and true methods, while the jazz workshops were almost opposite of anything tried and true because the object there was to be as present and spontaneous as possible. I loved both studies, but I realized at some point in time that I wanted to find myself somewhere in between the old and new.

I also understand that you studied “classical Indian” music. How does that differ from traditional classical music and traditional jazz vocalization?

The difference in classical Indian music that most drew me to it was its deep connection to spirituality. The very way it works is like a map of the universe. The drone (a chord played by a resonant instrument called the tanpora) is the Om, the underlying constant that holds everything that happens within it. You forget about it as the song goes on. And so the drone is going on while the melodies and rhythms are coming in and out and being played and improvised. And those comings and goings are like moods, thoughts, encounters, situations, stories . . . life! And you go through all of the ups and downs and when it all calms down and blows over, there is the Om again . . . it had been there all along! I love it.

One fascinating thing about your biography — you’ve spent time in silent meditation. What’s that like for someone who is so used to opening her mouth and singing? Did you sing within your mind? What’s the longest you have gone without speaking?

It was exactly what I needed to do at the time. When I decided to leave my studies I was looking for what was most important to me. I needed to get in touch with my deepest intentions and perspectives. I felt that once I was really rooted in those things everything would become clear and I would know how to live my life to the best of my ability. I didn’t really think I would circle back around to music.

I guess it does seem a bit ironic for a singer to go into silence. The funny thing is… going into silence is what ultimately inspired me to sing again. The most honest and vibrant works of art that I have made were born out of tender and solitary moments of silence. What would sound be without silence anyway? It’s a necessary and under-appreciated ingredient. And sitting for a week in silent retreat can clear the mind in a way that makes you extra aware of the gems (melodies, images, words) that come so that you can scoop them up and share them.

I once read that Bach said that he did his best composing when he first awoke in the morning, when his mind was still and gentle and wouldn’t be as likely to chase down and “squash” the little delicate melodies that crept in at those early hours. I think he is talking about the same kind of quiet.

The longest I have gone without speaking is 10 days.

How would you compare your two CDs. Were they made in similar ways? Are the songs thematically related?

My debut (Cozy Razor’s Edge) was actually the first batch of songs I had ever written, and they were recorded shortly thereafter! The fashion in which they were recorded was also sort of whirlwind-ish: five 13-hour days, boom. It definitely has a live feel to it, and that worked for those songs as they are rather poppy and straight-forward.

The new album (Time & Pocket Change) is more carefully crafted and intricate, and was recorded over 8 months in sessions that happened 1–3 times a week, with lots of space in and out of the studio for ideas to sprout up and get molded into a more detailed and polished piece of work. The songwriting is also perhaps more playful and experimental.

I guess you could say that the songs on both albums are thematically related. They are both sort of era albums, Cozy Razor’s Edge representing the leap into full time life as an artist, and Time & Pocket Change being the first year of that new lifestyle, in all of the hope, hard work, sacrifice, adventure and gratification that defines it.

Do you have any musical dreams that you’d like to happen in the not-too-distant future? (Hey, putting it out there might help make it come true!)

I hope to stay on the road for the whole year next year. It’s become clear (especially now as I just return from 6 weeks on the road) that touring is the most powerful way to connect with people. Even though social media is an amazing way to connect, it will never beat the real thing. Live is always better, more of an impact, more touching and more fulfilling. Really, I have fallen in love with touring over the past 2 years. So I want to make it my priority to get out there.