Category Archives: female artist interviews

50+ years have passed in a flash for pianist/songwriter/vocalist Marcia Ball. The 2018 Texas State Musician Of The Year has won worldwide fame & countless fans for her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse party every time she takes the stage. Born in Orange, Texas and raised in Vinton, Louisiana, her deep Acadian heritage and a lifetime of absorbing Gulf Coast rhythm & blues is evident in her original songs and the classics she chooses to cover. This has made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music lovers all over the world. With each new release, her reputation as a profoundly soulful singer, a boundlessly talented pianist and a courageous, inventive songwriter continues to grow. Her love of the road has led to years of soul-satisfying performances at festivals, concert halls & clubs. Marcia grew up in a family whose female members all played piano and she began taking lessons at age 5, playing old Tin Pan Alley and popular music tunes from her grandmother’s collection. But it wasn’t until she was 13 that Marcia discovered the power of soul music. One day in 1962, she sat amazed as Irma Thomas performed on a show at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans and delivered the most spirited & moving performance the young teenager had ever seen. A few years later she attended Louisiana State University and after dropping out to explore the brave new hippie world of the late 1960s, she was invited to try out for a blues-based rock band called Gum. She made the cut and her future was set. In 1970, she left Baton Rouge for San Francisco. Her car broke down in Austin, and while waiting for repairs she fell in love with the city and decided to stay. It wasn’t long before she was performing in local clubs with a band called Freda And The Firedogs, which attracted many musicians & significant media attention to Austin. It was around this time that she discovered Professor Longhair she knew she had found her direction. When Freda And The Firedogs broke up in 1974, Ball launched her solo career and began touring outside of Texas & Louisiana. She signed with Capitol Records in 1977, debuting with the country-rock album Circuit Queen. As she honed her own sound, she released 6 critically acclaimed titles on the Rounder Records label during the 1980s & 1990s. In 1990, Ball, collaborating with Angela Strehli & Lou Ann Barton, recorded the hugely successful Dreams Come True on the Antone’s label. At the end of 1997, Marcia finished work on a similar “three divas of the blues” project for Rounder, this time in the distinguished company of Tracy Nelson and her longtime inspiration, Irma Thomas. The CD, Sing It!, was released in 1998 and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Marcia Ball has appeared many times on national TV over the years, including the PBS special In Performance At The White House with B.B. King & Della Reese, Austin City Limits & HBO’s Treme. She performed in Piano Blues, the film directed by Clint Eastwood included in Martin Scorsese’s The Blues series which aired on PBS television nationwide in 2003. Marcia also appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman w/The New Orleans Social Club, where she helped to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2012, she had a role in the independent film Angels Sing starring Harry Connick, Jr. & Lyle Lovett & Willie Nelson. Ball joined Alligator Records in 2001 with the release of the critically acclaimed Presumed Innocent. The CD won the 2002 Blues Music Award for Blues Album Of The Year. Her follow-up, So Many Rivers, was nominated for a Grammy Award, and won the 2004 Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year as well as the coveted Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year award. Her next release, Live! Down The Road, released in 2005, also garnered a Grammy nomination, as did 2008’s Peace, Love & BBQ. She holds 11 Blues Music Awards, 10 Living Blues Awards, and 5 Grammy Award nominations. 2010’s Grammy-nominated Roadside Attractions and 2014’s The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man successfully grew her fan base even further. She has been inducted into both the Gulf Coast Music Hall Of Fame & the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame and the Texas State legislature named her the official 2018 Texas State Musician. In 2018, Marcia was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. And she kept on traveling down the road to the next gig…

I had the pleasure of catching up with the legendary pianist/singer/songwriter ahead of her heading back to Madison for a gig at The Bur Oak on March 5th. Marcia and I get into a bit of what that show will be like, with some of that good ol’ rockin’ and rollin’ being at the center. We talk about her love of Madison and how much she enjoys being here, musically and otherwise, including her working with a staple here, The Jimmys (with whom she’ll be hanging and playing with down in Jamacia before heading here). We get into her passion for Irma Thomas, and how much seeing her early on changed her life, and then they worked toGether on a few occasions. How dreamy?! For me, it is always nice to talk about new music and Marcia drooped a little knowledge this way that there in fact, is some of that heading our way. YES!!! While new music is usually a big part of my thanG, so is the give-back. Marcia is doing her part as well with the HOMES initiative, providing financial housing assistance for aging musicians in need. So I would have been remiss not to shine a little light on these fantastic efforts.

For some time now, I have been sampling a few moments of a project that family to the proGram, Janet Schiff had been thinking on and working through. It was a long distance, international dialogue between someone she had never officially met. We spoke on the tapestry that could be. Finally the project got thing wings it deserved and was released into the world. Janet of course, plays the cello. We have had her on the program to discuss some solo work and also with the beloved nineteen thirteen. But this new collaboration was a stretch she had never fully explored before, working with a sitar master in India to create that new bridge of togetherness that formed a healing creation. In our discussion, we learn how she and Ramprapanna Bhattacharya first found each other online and formed a friendship. As music does, that original handshake turned into a ‘hey why don’t we’ and within time a raga was born with sitar being sent over the webs of the internet. The cello parts were created with distinct numbers in mind, adjustments were needed, and what was once a track to be, turned into an EP’s worth of unity, combining the earthly sound of sitar with the looping of many a cello textured to a new mosaic – one that people can easily chill put to, or find their yoga space with or just be deep in or out of the many of this oneness. ‘A Dream For Cello And Sitar’ was born on December 22nd, which is Ramprapanna’s birthday and I for one, am proud to announce it has shown up!

A Dream for Cello and Sitar · Janet Schiff Ft. Ramprapanna Bhattacharya

Well, it is one of my favorite times of the times. Madison’s own Heather The Jerk has new music out to help make the days go by a little easier. The eight songs are quick to the ear, but spend a lot of time in my mind – easily being brought back up due to catchy choral imprints and quick-witted lyrics, I just want to scream them all out into the world. We learn straight-away that even though the title is a little misleading, by definition, this album is VERY motorcycle. You don’t have to take it from me either, since I have known this Jerk for a lifetime, take it from one Mr. Henry Rollins, who not only got this new album, but all the other music Heather the Jerk has put out and he airs it over the world wide web on his radio proGram. Check it here. We dive a little into how these tunes came together, we round off the band’s introductions and talk about a couple of tracks as if they were friends. There was a recent tape release part too here in Madison at Mickey’s Tavern and from the sounds of it, there were many people leased with the new music and the scene. Maybe go here and order the music yourself to see what all the Henry Rollins’s hub bub is all about. He oughta know.

Sa-Roc grew up in Southeast D.C., at the height of the crack era, with neighborhoods plagued by poverty & disaffection. Her early experiences shaped her understanding of the world around her, deepened her emotional sensitivity and cemented a social consciousness that would later feature heavily within her work. She was born three-months premature and didn’t make a sound during the first fourteen months of her life. This struggle to find a voice, both literally and creatively, would later be critical in shaping her lyrical expression. Sa-Roc is arguably one of the most vibrant MCs in the world today. Her crisp articulation, fiery delivery, and her elevated & insightful lyricism has often placed her within the same conversation of some of Hip Hop’s most notable artists. There was no lack of early influences; she was raised by an artist father and an avid reader for a mother who would expose their young children to black writers, musicians & performers. She was raised on everything from the syncopated rhythms of hometown Go-Go acts like the Rare Essence & the Backyard band, to the prophetic poetry of Gil Scott Heron & Nikki Giovanni. It was the work of writers like these and more that helped Sa-Roc foster a love for language & writing and while still young, she began to pen her own poetry & short stories. She attended the Sankofa Institute, a Pan African centered school where her writing, social & creative expression was nurtured by Hasinatu Camara, an educator & civil rights activist. Camara would introduce Sa-Roc to close friends like Kwame Ture (f.k.a. Stokely Carmichael) MutaBaruka, and Haile Gerima. It was through these personal encounters that she began to see how artistic expression could be used as a tool to educate, inspire, & create change, a set of principles that she continues to live by. Sa-Roc was on the verge of graduating from Howard University as a biology major but decided to leave college and, D.C. for Atlanta. It was in THE ATL where she was introduced to famed DJ & producer, Sol Messiah. Inspired by one of the acts he was working with, Sa-Roc decided to record some of her poetry & rhymes to his beats. The result was her first EP, Astral Chronicles which dropped in 2008. She quickly began to gain recognition within the cultural & activist community in Atlanta, performing at social justice & political prisoner fundraisers, and other community based events. Still the full breadth of her artistic expression didn’t arrive until later that year when a surprise introduction at a Mutulu Shakur benefit concert thrusted her on stage for the very first time. Sa-Roc had finally found the full range of her voice and there was no looking back. Her powerful performances, metaphysical lyrics, and skills as an emcee, quickly caught the attention of the independent Hip Hop community in Atlanta. In an effort to maximize her momentum, as well as continually sharpen her skills, Sa-Roc & Sol Messiah continued to release a strong series of collaborative projects between 2008-2014. She also performed at the historic Zulu Nation 40th anniversary event, a performance which led to her gaining the attention of some of Hip Hop’s most respected pioneers. Sa-Roc was making waves as an emcee with notable stage presence and a prolific output — by 2014 she had dropped a stunning 8 projects in 6 years. Black Thought even pulled her on stage at A3C to perform an acapella verse. This led to several opportunities to open for The Roots as well as future creative collaborations w/Black Thought. She has opened for the likes of Common, Jay Electronica, and has shared the stage with legends such as Rakim, De La Soul, & Talib Kweli. She continued to write prolifically & tour with her peers/colleagues. In addition to her music career, Sa-Roc is a health and wellness advocate and public speaker, having led Hip Hop workshops and lectures both nationally and internationally. She is also an ambassador for Hip Hop is Green, an organization that uses the power and influence of Hip Hop music and culture to expose and educate underserved communities about the benefits of plant-based eating. Her Rhymesayers debut album, ‘The Sharecropper’s Daughter’, the title of which pays homage to her father’s experience growing up sharecropping tobacco, is in Sa-Roc’s own words “a sonic reflection on the generational inheritance of trauma and triumph that shapes our humanity and influences the way we see the world.” At a time where people all around the globe are calling for social change, Sa-Roc is an MC whose energy & conscious lyrics are here to shake up the rap game and remind us all that Hip Hop was always about giving a voice to the people.

I had the privilege of catching up with Sa-Roc ahead to her event in Madison on December 5th at the Union Theater’s Play Circle. The Union is going to change the landscape a little in this setting to make it more of a club vibe as part of the Black Box Sessions celebration of Hip Hop. We get deep into what an intimate gathering together will be like, and what the hope is for all of us in attendance when we walk away from this experience. We get a chance to learn more insightful observations from her latest single, ‘Amazing Grace’ and where this lies in the heart & ears of those who tune in. I could not forget to thank her for the full body experience that is ‘The Sharecropper’s Daughter’ and just how relevant it feels today – so we tap into the possible reasons why that could be. And no convo with her could feel complete without sharing in the energy and collaborative execution between her and Sol Messiah. Word cannot describe how excited I am for my mind’s mind to be a part of this event (and the idea that there’s a new album in the works get dropped on us to).

Brass Queens is a female-led New York-based brass band w/an all-female horn section that has been dominating the scene since 2019. Finding they shared similar frustrations about the emerging brass band scene in New York City, co-founders Alex Harris & Ally Chapel came together to form a group dedicated to showcasing the talents of female musicians in a landscape that was dominated by male musicians & bandleaders. After debuting in March 2019, Brass Queens grew to be a fixture in the local music scene and was dubbed “the hardest working band in town” by their peers. They gained a dedicated following thru outdoor performances on the streets of Brooklyn and playing pop-up events in their community through the pandemic. A core value of the band is to play for as many audiences as possible to increase the visibility of female bands in the brass band scene. Brass Queens regularly tour across the country & internationally, performing on festival stages including the Ottawa Jazz Festival, Northlands Music Festival, MusikFest, Duck Jazz Festival, and multiple appearances at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival. They have played major events like The Met Gala and for many notable clients including New Balance, Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Bombas, Perrier, Instagram, & Pinterest. They have also performed on national T.V. (Good Morning America) and at iconic venues like The Capitol Theater with multiple shows at the historic Blue Note Jazz Club & Brooklyn Bowl. They are also the 2023 winners of We Love NYC’s Rider’s Choice Award, after the people of New York voted them as their favorite of the MTA’s Music Under New York’s roster of subway performers. The band has developed a signature style that sits right at the intersection of the Big Apple and the Big Easy. Their sound is deeply inspired by and pays homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition while injecting the upbeat, multifaceted energy of their New York home into each performance. The result is a nonstop party: a Brass Queens show will have you singing along to classic pop hits, dancing your heart out to reggaeton, and feeling like you’ve been transported to Frenchman Street. In February 2021, Brass Queens released their debut EP ‘Royal Street’, which takes listeners on a six-song journey beginning in the heart of New York City with a cover of Cameo’s Candy, down to Royal St. with their take on a New Orleans traditional, Little Liza Jane. In 2023, the band released their first full-length album titled ‘Black & Gold’, which is an ode to the Brass Queen’s incredible early fan base who supported the band from the virtual performances & socially-distanced street corners during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the crowded clubs & packed venues of today. On October 18, 2024 they will release their second full-length album titled ‘Hot Tub Sessions Vol. I’.

I had the pleasure of spending a little time with Ally Chapel ahead of the Brass Queens making a stop through Madison on October 11th at the High Noon Saloon. They will be sharing the stage with Madison’s own, Mama Digdown’s Brass Band and the story of the bands relationship is touched on (and you can hear the excitement in Ally’s voice) as soon as we start talking about this event. We get into what this show will feel and sound like, but it is this relationship between the two bands that is going to set this particular night ablaze. We dive brass first into the soon to be released album, ‘Hot Tub Sessions Vol. I’ and even dissect one of Ally’s tracks. It is unfortunate but, being an incredible all female band, is still a thing of surprise for some people, so we definitely touch on that experience and how that drives this group. We find time to have Ally build a quick setlist – not a lot of surprises, but you can tell where the party would be at if she was in charge of the music. Don’t miss out on this band.

Jed and Company is Madison’s new hard-rippin’ Grateful Dead tribute band. With high-level high-energy jamming, experimental setlists, soulful vocals and fresh takes on the catalog, Jed and Company will impress any discerning Wisconsin Deadhead.

Erik Anderson- keys, vocals
Devin Geary- guitar, vocals
Becca Reynolds- vocals
Jeremy Snow- drums
Ben Johnson- bass, vocals
Jed Heckman- guitar, vocals

I had the chance to catch up with Becca Reynolds recently as Jed and Company prepare for their very first ticketed event on August 30th at The Bur Oak. Becca shares a little about what she expects that evening will brinG, including a fantastic sounding light show (Cosmic Flights Liquid Lights) that will certainly add to the night’s psychedelic feel and presentation. We talk about the mission of the band at a live event, how they choose setlists and one of the more fascinating things shred was thinking about how Becca (who is taking on more of a lead singing role), goes about finding her way as a female vocalist on tunes that were not written for nor sung originally by a female artist. I share my personal thoughts and findings from their recent performance at Atwoodfest, an event that band happily accepted a fill-in role for but did not have a ton of time to prep for, here’s a clue…they killed it. Come on and clap your hands.

Singer, rapper, and writer Dessa has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations—her résumé as a musician includes performances at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, co-compositions for 100-voice choir, performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, and top-200 entries on the Billboard charts. She contributed to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape and the RBG documentary; her track, “Congratulations,” has notched over 20 million streams. As a writer, she’s been published by The New York Times & National Geographic Traveler, broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio, and published a memoir-in-essays (My Own Devices, 2018) in addition to 2 literary collections. As a speaker, Dessa has delivered keynote speeches and presentations on art, science, & entrepreneurship; guest lectures at universities/colleges across the US; and a TED Talk about her science experiment on how to fall out of love. She also hosted two seasons of Deeply Human, a radio program created by the BBC and American Public Media. Dessa has been covered by Pitchfork, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal amongst others. The LA Times says she “sounds like no one else.” NPR’s All Songs Considered calls her “a national treasure.” On the stage and on the page, Dessa’s style is defined by ferocity, wit, tenderness, & candor. Plainly put, Dessa is dope.

I had the chance to catch up with Dessa before she headlines the 2024 Orton Park Festival in Madison on August 25th. Firstly, I am honored to have such a keen observer and sharer on the proGram. We get right into what the show will be like sonically, as in who will be doing what, and their are some surprises I think for many a listener to wrap their heads around. A harp? Of course, Dessa turns the plan on nme and asks me some questions as she prepares herself for the uniqueness Madison will offer her. We get into her latest album on Doomtree, ‘Bury The Lead’ and talk about the music, the risks and the rewards within the industry and life for that matter, when you stretch into the unknown. We say a lot of things to each other, as our foreheads were opened…but I really wanted to hear more about her TED Talk/science experiment/really freakin’ cool idea, so we get into her ‘Brain Skin Rug’ a bit. I could spend the time writing more about our conversation, but that’s not going to pinpoint the spots that will engross you, personally. I think a live performance will do that, just like this time we spent together.

Sierra Green was born and raised in New Orleans 7th ward where she began singing in the church choir at the age of 8. The 7th ward is a mecca for talent, spawning legends including Jelly Roll Morton, Allen Toussaint, & Frank Ocean, rappers Mannie Fresh & Mia X, and film stars Tyler Perry & Sidney Bechet. Hope rings throughout the community. Families are close; music is relevant; and everyone knows someone who made it out and became famous. Music, Art, & Talent remain fresh and abundant in the 7th ward, and Sierra Green and the Giants are the latest breakout. As a teen Sierra began busking on Frenchmen Street, one of the musical centers of the Crescent City, which taught her quickly how to keep an audience. Before long Sierra graduated to clubs, establishing the best residency in town playing a couple of nights a week to a packed Frenchmen Street house. In New Orleans when you have the best gig in town the best players gravitate toward you, and you eventually end up with the best players in town. These are Sierra Green’s Giants. Sierra’s summer was filled with excitement as she and her Giants, featuring William West on drums, Mike Perez on bass, Paul Provosty on guitar, Brandon Nater on trumpet, Maurice Cade on trombone, and David Ludman on saxophone, worked with New Orleans’ legendary producer David Torkanowsky on a blazing new EP called The Torch Sessions. The band recorded five tracks, including an impressive and passionate version of The Meter’s “Break in the Road” and the chance to project her own style into “Promised Land,” a song by the Revivalists’ David Shaw. On the crawling “One Thing” Sierra takes her gloves off with a powerful performance channeling the depth of her passion and range. Sierraowns Nina Simone’s anthem for liberation “Feeling Good.” You can feel the euphoria that comes from being liberated from oppression, something that is common in New Orleans’s 7th ward. “He Called Me Baby” is a perfect track to express the direction and soulful sound that you can expect Sierra to deliver throughout her career. Powerful horns to accent the groovy bass and piano lines and a vocal you can compare to any of the legends of 1960’s Motown. One common thread which runs through all these tracks is Sierra’s hunger and passion to change her own life while changing others with the power of her voice and her music.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Sierra Green shortly before she and the Giants headlining the Marquette Waterfront Festival here in Madison, Wisconsin on Sunday June 9th at 6:30pm. We get into what the people getting down at the festival can expect to get when Sierra & the Giants hit the stage. There is going to be moments to move, groove and dance your faces off. She may or may not have endorsed hopping up on stage to shake it in front of all. This sound has both the love of STAX Records and the New Orleans flavor seem to fit into any place that is ready for a party. We get into the new album to drop this fall, we went seed to flower on how that turned from sessions to ready to spin. Find out what Sierra’s grandma and I have in common, it has everything to do with how her voice can change the mood and we talk about what would be a setlist if I left the studio and Sierra hopped in. Get Ready To PARTY!

Like most artists, Nicole Wray’s life in music has always reflected her real life. As a fifteen-year-old in Virginia, she auditioned for Missy Elliot in her mother’s home. Even then, with her voice so full and arresting—Missy signed her on the spot. Later, in 1998, merely two years after that tryout, she had a debut solo album and a single that smashed up radio and TV, quickly going gold. But back then—young and unsure—Nicole was essentially following someone else’s lead, signing the lyrics they wrote for her and in the way they wanted them sung. Fast forward to now, after a few fits and starts with other labels and projects, and you’ll find a very different Nicole Wray. Today, she’s a mother, a wife, and living for herself and her family. So naturally, this evolution followed into her music: she sings how she wants to, expertly writing lyrics for herself and others. To hear her tell it, it’s these things—and most importantly, an unflinching self-belief that help lead a young and raw Virginian singer named Nicole to become Lady Wray. The most recent step for Lady Wray is her latest album, released on Brooklyn’s Big Crown Records. Called ‘Piece Of Me’, the record is on the one hand—a continuation, picking up where Lady Wray and label co-owner/producer Leon Michels left off with her project Queen Alone. But ‘Piece Of Me’ is also a kind of homecoming for Lady Wray. That first record sonically showcased the dexterous range of Lady Wray’s voice and songwriting by leaning toward soul & R&B with tinges of hip-hop. On Piece of Me, it’s still R&B with a heavy dose of soul, but you’ll hear boom-bap-smacked drums and chunky basslines front-and-center, all creating a head-noddingly dense backdrop for Lady Wray to traverse, much like the era in which she was first introduced to us. In some ways, Piece of Me is like a Big-Crown-ification of late 90s R&B and Lady Wray is right at home.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Nicole ahead of the Lady Wray event that is going to provide a much needed soul-lift to the Play Circle at the Wisconsin Union Theater on February 29th. I have long been a fan of Nicole’s powerful and commanding voice. She can control time with this talent. We get to hear from her what she intends to brinG to Madison for a special and intimate evening. We talk heavily about the creation of her album ‘Piece Of Me’ and her wonderful relationship with her label, her family, Big Crown Records, and how much both her ancestors and her in-her-belly baby helped form, shape and gave strength to her. We chat about label mate Suprise Chef‘s remix of one of her tunes and it is a joy to hear her give props to anyone who has ever touched any piece of her project. We talk about late Summer 2024 and a dream event to be, we pinched ourselves and yep it’s still true, and to wrap up the fun time we had toGether, Nicole build a setlist of vocal phenoms, and she sure does slide right in there nicely.

After what could have been a great Adult Swim album, “Cable Access TV” from 2021, Heather The Jerk (The Hussy & Proud Parents) is back with 4 new garage rock/punk super fun tracks. Heather the jerk is the solo project of Heather Sawyer based riGht here out of Madison, WI. After playing a few shows HTJ released a 4 song ep titled “The Rick Shitty Sessions” recorded by Rick Freuhling of local bands Fire Heads & Dumb Vision. In between now and then Heather played in a couple touring bands and was pretty busy with that. Fast forward several years and a pandemic later, Heather wrote a bunch of songs and decided to record them all as a full band this time around. Cable Access TV is the result of the recording sessions. Recorded entirely by Graham Hunt at their practice space this last fall, CATV also featured Graham, and friend Tyler Fassnacht on some guitar and bass help. Cable Access TV is the result of some breakups, a pandemic, and smoking up. Now she is back with “Surreal Good Fun Exciting Tape”. The tape is comprised of her and her BF Josh and out now (if physical is still sold out – the digital is not) from Italy’s Goodbye Boozy Records. It was fun to hear how this record came toGether for Heather, what Josh adds to her thang and what is happening on February 17th at the Crystal Corner Bar – what’s this, a birthday show for the Jerk herself….she nEEds that. Check out our catch up chat around the new music below.