When I finally tracked Theresa Anderson down, she was holed up in New Orleans hammering out three part harmonies. I felt like the insurance salesman who interrupted Coleredge while he was writing Xanadu; who knows what you destroy when you bumble into an artist at work? If the murmurs in the music industry are any indication, I may have been acting as a speed bump for a masterpiece. Theresa’s name and ‘Grammy nomination’ are being whispered in the same breath since she aimed her considerable talents at the title track for "A Love Song for Bobby Long". She was kind enough to include “Laura’s Song” as a bonus track on her CD Shine, which is already brimming with her uniquely distinct brand of New Orleans Rock.
She is like a storm gathering force and dashing against the audience again and again. When she picks up a violin nothing you would normally expect from the instrument happens. She plays it like an electric guitar, firing leads like volleys of sound. In stark contrast, her voice is smooth as glass, creating a startling blend of texture.
Tim Parker: When you begin the composition process, creating that intrinsic Theresa Anderson sound, how much of that just comes through? How much do you have to work for?
Theresa Anderson: I think I'm definitely influenced by what I'm listening to, though I can’t copy other people. I'm certainly inspired by other artists and writers. The only way I can create is when I'm in the space where I'm ready to draw from myself.
TVP: You have an almost uniquely American sound, though this isn't your first culture:
TA: I think I can't help but absorb the culture. I've been here since before I started writing. It isn't a conscious effort on my part. I don't think my sound is particularly American.
TVP: There's a strong Roots element to your sound. It ties together a lot of what could be called of indigenous American music. Blues, Classic Rock, almost Country in some subtle way.
TA: I'm not playing Folk music. I've never drawn a line between American and European music. I'm from Europe. That's where a lot of these strains come from.
TVP: I can't deny that there's a folk tradition in Sweden that reaches much farther back in time than the American one.
There's so much spontaneous emotion in what you're playing. How do you pull that off in a studio?
TA: On Shine I made an effort to bring that out. I get to that place a lot live and I want to make sure to show that somehow. A lot of the songs are arranged, but I wanted to get that feeling of everyone playing together. I think I managed that on some of the tracks.
TVP: Do you come in with a really finished product in mind?
TA: Not always. Some of these songs evolved in the studio. Some it we outlined before, especially when I had a clear idea of what I wanted. When I go through the process I discover opportunities. Sometimes I'll have an idea that has to get changed.
TVP: Ever find yourself in places you didn't plan on heading musically?
TA: All the time.
TVP: Where do you think that comes from?
TA: For me it may have been a lack of discipline in the past, it is also the passionate side of me. I think the New Orleans music scene is good at exactly that.
I've lived here for many years now and I'm able to go with that flow. I like that, but I'm also very interested in the song. If you want to make a record listenable you need to have some structure. I create a place within that structure where anything can happen.
TVP: That sense of cohesion comes from heading back from those places within a melodic format. When you start a project, do work from a melodic format or a rhythmical one, or lyrics?
TA: It depends. I think that lyrics can provide a rhythmical format. A lot of times when I'm doing something repetitious like walking or doing some kind of chore I end up getting something spinning around in my head. That's when I tend to get ideas. A little melody or some words pop into my head. It takes me a while to develop a song once I start getting a little snippet of an idea.
TVP: You’re playing style on the violin, seems more reminiscent of lead guitar players, in a Rock format. Do you consider any particular guitar players as an influence?
TA: Definitely, especially slide guitar players. I've listened a lot to Lowell George, Little Feet, that kind of stuff. I'm getting ready to do some work with the North Mississippi All Stars. I've been inspired by Hendrix, Sonic Youth. I'm really interested in the sounds you can make with an amp and some petals, and not just the normal classical sound.
TVP: You use a Fuzz box?
TA: A Tube Screamer.
TVP: Do you find yourself moving between genres when you write?
TA: I have in the past. Now I'm trying to stay more focused. Now I'm inspired to make a real effort to make a record that has a clear direction. I'm doing some research for that.
TVP: When there's so many other aspects to the business, how do you stay in touch with the creative side?
TA: It is very difficult. I'm not one of those writers who write all the time. I have to make time to write, I have to make space. This year I've been touring constantly. It has been really hard to take the time to do that. I'll try to sit down in the hotel room when I know I have a sound checks in 45 minutes. It's really hard to do both. Luckily you can make space; I've learned that I have to.
TVP: Everyone who works in a creative field builds a format that they have to fight against to remain creative. How do you deal with that?
TA: I don't think I have to fight against myself, but I think I know what you mean? I try to stay out of my 'loops', stop turning in on myself by listening to other music, and start understanding a different sound. I started taking violin lessons again. There are ways to keep fresh.
TVP: Do you feel a musical dialog-taking place when you play on stage?
TA: That's the goal, and that can be challenging. Much like a theater piece, when you have the very same lines every night and you have to do that in order for the piece to make sense you. The challenge is to find a way to deliver it every night that makes the audience enjoy the experience. It's the same on stage between the musicians- you have to energize the music every night to create a dialog even though you're saying the same thing.
TVP: Performers talk about a cycle of energy that goes to the audience and comes back to them. That has to be especially true when you're reaching such intense emotional peaks.
TA: The audience plays a very important part. It's really wonderful when you succeed. I like it when I look out and I can see people spontaneously respond in the audience, when I can see that I'm having a real effect on them. If we didn't have that it would be really lonely.
TVP: How different is living a musical life from the way you thought it would be.
TA: When I was younger I never questioned it. I didn't have a preconception. I t has been a learn-as-you-go experience. I must say that I've experienced more than I'd ever hoped. As I get more savvy and experienced I can raise my goals.
TVP: Anyone who’s ever written a song has a vision of the ultimate conclusion of his or her musical ambitions- the ultimate creation. Do you find yourself wrestling with that idea?
TA: I'm starting to touch on that a little bit. I'm feeling the urge to create something really special. I'd like to make a piece of art now that makes sense to me more. I don't know if I'm close to that yet.
TVP: Can you tell me a little about The Brook Ellison Story?
TA: The Brook Ellison Story was directed by Christopher Reeves. It was his last movie. He listened to a lot of music for the movie and he was looking for something very specific. He found it on my record! It's a song on my record called 'It's Gonna Be OK'. My band and me got to perform it in the movie, and we also got to meet him while doing that.
This movie is about a girl who when she was young had an accident coming back from school. She ended up paralyzed from the neck down. It's a true story and I actually met Brook. It was a very special project to be a part of.
I didn't know what to expect, but he was a very impressive person. At one point he came into the room where we were working and the whole room quieted down, like a church. It was a very spiritual moment. He had a very sort of mighty presence and every wanted to hear what he had to say. He came over and we talked for a little bit. It was one of those moments I never could have dreamt of.
TVP: So you get a sense of the impact that you have on peoples' lives from sharing your music with them?
TA: Yeah, a little bit. A lot of people will let me know, especially after The Brook Ellison Story. We had tons and tons of emails from people in Canada and all over America, telling us that song meant so much to them and how special it is. It means a lot when something you do can help somebody else, and help them feel better about themselves and be inspired. That's how I prefer music and that's what I want it to do.
TVP: You’re essentially parting with pieces of yourself that go out into the world and expand.
TA: Exactly: That's the beautiful thing about music. It isn’t just that instant when you put it on tape, but it continues on and on and who knows where a song will go?
TVP: How do your participation in the film "A Love Song for Bobby Long" come about?
TA: They were looking for someone to sing the title song for that movie and my name came up. Grayson Capps, who is another New Orleans musician, was working on this song. He asked me to come in and see if the song, which he was still working on, would work for me. We tried it out and it fit me perfectly, so we recorded it. Grayson's father wrote the book that the movie is based on. It's a really good movie and it should be hitting the theaters now.
TVP: That song is almost a miracle of collaboration. I can't imagine a song that so uniquely fits the singer.
LA: Thanks. I like what happened there. It isn't an easy song to sing, very pure and very soft. I needed to have a song like that.
TVP: It made my hair stand on end.
LA: As I continue to write I hope that I can get better at nailing that kind of thing. When a song comes along and you sing it just right- that's what it's all about.