A lot can happen in 5 years.   It’s not a lot of time, but it’s enough time for the world to shift and turn you around.

Five years ago the auto industry was taking a nose dive.  The world was introduced to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.  Most of us had a Myspace account that we actually paid attention to AND Red House celebrated its 25th Anniversary.   Wow, where did the time go?

However, another important event was introduced to the world as the music community began celebrating Record Store Day 5 years ago.  The “holiday” was begun as a way for independent music stores to come together and get people out to buy music.  With a plethora of festivities from live concerts, barbeques, meet-and-greets and special Record Store Day items this holiday has blown up into one of the most anticipated days for music lovers around the world.

This Saturday, April 21st, RSD celebrates its 5th year and you won’t want to miss this year’s events! Check out the official Record Store Day website for events in your area so you can get out and enjoy the music!   And remember that your favorite Red House albums are available in most fine music stores around the world, so be sure to look for them this Saturday while you’re out and about!

Twin Cities’ Record Store Day haps!

Perhaps you’ve been to a show or two in the last decade or so and seen  those glowing screens light up like lightning bugs throughout the audience.  They’ve replaced (sadly) the lighter at rock shows during the power ballad and some folks are texting/posting about the concert they’re currently enjoying as if the world needs to know at that moment how awesome where you are is and where they are is not.

Some are just trying to distract themselves, while others are trying to record/videotape or take pictures of the show.  Which by the way wouldn’t have flown 10 years ago.  Hell, I remember my friend getting kicked out of a Dylan show because he was taking pictures with his camera.

I’m not going to whine about “the younger generation” because frankly, I’m still in it.  But I’ll say, it’s a common practice that actually takes away from the concert whether you know it or not.  A fact you may not realize until it’s not there.

I recently went to a show where about 30 minutes into it I realized I hadn’t seen one screen light up during the main set. How refreshing!  Eventually I saw a couple light up, but only to take a quick pic and then the phone was gone.  Everyone at the show was transfixed on the band and seemed like they could care less about anything other than where they were.  Isn’t that what concerts are supposed to be about?  Can you imagine going to see Lucy Kaplansky or John Gorka and see half the audience with their phone out?  No.  Come to think of it, I don’t recall many phones making an appearance during Andra Suchy’s CD release show last week.  The audience is there for the show and isn’t worrying about what else is happening or telling the world about how great the show they’re at is.

For two hours or so, you have permission to ignore the troubles and worries of everyday and enjoy the moment in its purity. Whatever experience you take away from the show you can retell or post later, but why not let the euphoria of a kick-ass show permeate for a little bit?

The bottom line is that there’s no sense in denying that smart phones are now part of the concert milieu, but try a show without ever pulling it out and you may realize what is lost with all that finger tapping.

P.S.- I am guilty of all of the above.

Andra Suchy is one of our latest artists to sign on to the Red House family.  Her debut record on Red House, Little Heart (named after the river that runs near her home town of Mandan, ND) is an irresistible mix of folk, pop, country, rock, and blues.  We’ve really been enjoying this one in the office and hope you all will take to it as we have.  Andra was kind of enough to take some time to answer a few questions for The Blog Cabin about songwriting, the album, her frequent appearances on A Prairie Home Companion as well as the affects of yoga on her music.

I think there are advantages to both.  Doing those competitions really started me in songwriting mode and I just kept going with it.  Obviously, the songs from the competition ultimately needed some tweaking but for me every song changes a little with time.  I guess I don’t have a preference because as long as a song comes out of it I am happy, whether it was a task from a deadline or the muses.

I write less from a purely emotional place now.  Less selfishly (I hope), which ultimately frees me up to collaborations and taking advice.  One time Andrew challenged me to write a song without using the words “you” “me” or “I.”  Nothing much came of it but it set me on a different path and taught me to write more externally.  I think a good song needs to have a little of both.  The external story and the emotional, personal experience.  I hope that is what is happening to my songwriting as I mature.

Well, playing with my husband is a great experience and I am excited to bring this music we have been working on and sequestering out to the public.  I have toured extensively with APHC, but to bring my own music and more of myself is really gratifying.  I love traveling and playing to new and familiar crowds so I am curious and excited to see how Little Heart is received.  Who knows?  Maybe this tour will inspire the next record!

Well, Emmylou Harris (oh my gosh!!), Chris Thile, Neko Case, Yo Yo Ma, Brad Paisley, Sam Bush, and on and on.  What a wonderful experience.  It has taken something from being a dream and literally set it out right in front of my eyes.  They are all just people!  Incredibly talented, experienced, amazing people, but it has taught me tangibility and given me confidence.  I have also learned professionalism and work ethic from watching these masters of their crafts and how they work.

Nope.

I alway sing better after yoga.  I also perform and write better because my mind is less scattered, my anxieties are diminished and my heart is open so I can really focus on what I’m doing and enjoy it without all the extra chatter.

It’s no secret that March seems to be one of the craziest months of the year.  Maybe everyone is ready to shed the winter doldrums, but these 31 days can be crazy.  There are millions of students released on spring break, St. Patrick’s Day, there’s the NCAA basketball tournament affectionately dubbed March Madness, and of course there is music’s equivalent of the all-you-can-eat buffet… South-By-Southwest (or SXSW or “South-By” for all you folks in the bizzzzz).

We’ll focus on the two mainstream media bohemiths.

March Madness and SXSW are meant to highlight the best of the best (in college basketball and music, respectively) and each has grown from relatively humble beginnings to entertainment meccas.  If you’re a rabid college hoops fan then you’re glued to the TV for hours on end so as not to miss any buzzer-beaters or those allusive Cinderella teams.  For music industry types, fans, hipsters and scenesters South-by-Southwest (SXSW) is THE place to be and hear as much music as you can in 5 days.  And if you’re a fan of both, then you need to focus on deep breathing because you may go completely insane.

Luckily, in this month of madness Red House has the perfect antidote to calm your Twittering nerves.

Our 2010 release, How the Light Gets In from Wise-Magraw (Dean Magraw and Marcus Wise) is a tranquil respite from any March mayhem you choose to indulge yourself in.  So turn the lights low, light a candle, lay down and close your eyes and let their worldly sounds wash over your conscience.  Ahhhhh….  Seven tracks later, you’re ready for more madness!

Ruth Moody banters with the crowd at Red House Live from the Landmark!

As any singer/songwriter or fan knows, good stage banter is an important element to any show.  Whether it’s a random joke while tuning that erratic ‘B’ string or an anecdote that inspired the proceeding song.  These between song monologues can turn a good show to great or bring it to a sputtering hault.  The good performers make it look easy, but it’s way harder than it sounds.  But like learning the guitar or writing a song, for most it takes time and a lot of missteps to get your banter groove.  So I can’t fault unseasoned artists for telling stories that fall flat or jokes that draw crickets.  It’s part of the fun of getting better at your craft.

However, it can get awkward when they’re tuning or end a song and say nothing to the crowd or even acknowledge that we’re there.  Once I went to an arena show where the main act only said “thank you” may once or twice between songs.  This can create a disconnect with the audience. I assumed he suffered from severe stage fright, but at the same time I figure if you’re playing arenas you should be at the point where you can at least say “Thanks!  It’s so nice to be in [insert city here].”  Probably one of the best in the business is none other than Mr. John Prine.  The guy could read the menu at the Olive Garden and I’d be engaged.

Robin and Linda Williams perform at Red House Landmark Live series

As you may expect from my completely biased opinion, I would say that OUR artists rank up there as some of the best stage banterers.  Lucy Kaplansky has built a strong following while updating her audiences on her daughter as well as what’s going on in her family.  Watching Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group at last December’s Red House Live Event left the audience in stitches… and subsequently handing over their cash for the “Official Robin and Linda Get a Grip rubber jar opener.”  It was music marketing at its finest.

Listening to our artists, each one has varying approaches to their banter with different levels of engagement, but it all works.  I think the important factor is that it connects the performer to the audience.  You may be on stage, but talking to the audience and sometimes with the audience, makes the whole experience more human.  It’s like social media, only with real people.

A lot of your songs are character driven, is there a specific story that you’re attracted to when writing?

I for one have been underwhelmed by plenty of tunes on first listen only to have my opinion swayed by a crafty video.  Take for instance Wilco’s record The Whole Love.  This one did not get my whole love until I watched this gem for their song “Dawned on Me.” Twelve dollars later I can’t stop listening to the album.  Hook, line, and sinker.

More to the  point, The Pines recently teamed up with Picture Machine Productions out of Minneapolis for their video shoot. These are the masterminds behind Bon Iver’s “Calgary” video and for The Pines they came up with this unique take on the Wizard of Oz for their song “Cry, Cry, Crow.”

“Cry, Cry, Crow“ from The Pines new album Dark So Gold.

The Wailin' Jennys

It’s hard to believe we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary as a band, and yet, there’s so much to look back on, so much of which to be proud. I’m proud that we’ve thrived as an independent band for this long, working at a grassroots level with other smaller organizations (our agents and labels – yay, Red House!) and proud that we’ve worked hard to produce music that is true to our hearts. That our music has been embraced so lovingly by our fans all these years is such a thrill.

During the last decade, we’ve seen much of the world, had the great fortune of playing alongside musical heroes (Roseanne Cash, Bruce Cockburn, Bruce Hornsby, Jerry Douglas, to name a few exciting examples) and become better writers and musicians along the way. We’ve learned from each other all the way along and learned how to weave our different styles together to bring out all of their individual strengths – it’s an ongoing process as we all mature as singers, writers and players. I think we could all say that we’ve made each other grow and challenged each other to move outside our comfort zones. Being in this group has brought a wealth of experience and learning opportunities that I might have missed as a solo artist and it’s been a significant journey for me.

I think what has also been profoundly significant for all of us are the stories our audiences tell us. People thank us for staying after shows to sign CDs but we hardly think of it as a sacrifice. It’s there that we hear about the various ways our music impacts our fans, helps them deal with loss, gives them joy and inspires them to create in their own lives. Considering that we all do this for a living in part to help and connect with others, this feedback means so much to us, it inspires and energizes us. Writing and performing is important to us all, but I think that our fans’ stories are part of the creative equation. Ten years later, time spent communicating with our fans is every bit as important as it was in the beginning.

So what’s next? Well, stay tuned! Part of what makes a band successful and ensures longevity is allowing for all members to be creative and fulfilled outside of the band’s parameters. That means solo albums and tours, family life and rest. So that’s what we’re doing and soon we’ll come together and map out the future as best we can. We thank everyone for being here with us these last ten years and we invite you all to keep an eye on our website for news of the next chapter!

To help us keep on task we load up on coffee, conversation and a mixed bag of music to play.  Somedays it’s a veritable party downstairs.  Which brings us to our latest featured promo-packing album.  Jimmy Buffett’s infamous release Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes featuring the hit title track and of course Buffett’s iconic “Margaritaville.”  A selection by one of our interns, but a guilty pleasure of mine, though I feel no guilt.

So if you get a little island breeze with your Drew Nelson or Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer albums you’ll know why.  Here’s a deeper cut from our Mailroom soundtrack that kept us packin’!