KVMR Interview

special features

Steve Cagle, KVMR 89.5 Blues Spectrum

SteveLindaEma02400px January 29, 2009
Live acoustic performance
and interview with
Linda Bracamonte, and
Ema Roberts.
(Below are excerpts from the live, on the air interview.)

Steve Cagle: That was Linda Bracamonte with her guitarist, Ema Roberts and they’re here today in the studio. How are you guys doing today?

LB: Doing great.

ER: Doing great, Steve.

Good to see you both. Thanks for braving the elements and coming up the hill here.

LB: We might have to stay awhile.

—photo by nancy stegemann

We’re very lucky that the two of them wanted to come out and try some brand new material that nobody’s even heard. Linda’s based out of the Sacramento area… particularly you play a lot in the Folsom area?

LB: We do.

You’ll be hearing a lot more from her and she’s got a fantastic CD… you just heard a cut from that CD called, “Checkin’ Out” (words and music by ema roberts © 2005, BMI)… and we’ll be playing some more from that later. But right now, you’ve got some live music to appreciate here on KVMR. So again, you’ve worked up these songs? You haven’t put them out yet, but you’re going to be doing that I hope sometime soon?

LB: This was pretty fast stuff. Well, we got your invite and we wanted to bring something special.

Well, I’ll let you guys without any further ado… go ahead and entertain us.

LB: Alright, this first song we’re going to do is called, “Don’t You Lie”. Yeah… why don’t you start it out Ema… play me somethin’… just doodle for me…

Alright, yeah!

LB: Thank you so much.

If there was a big audience, there would be cigarette lighters all lit up now.

ER: Neither of us smoke, but we appreciate it.

Yeah, that was really excellent, good! Well, you can’t push a product too soon, but that was very nice, a nice tune. How did you meet and start becoming songwriting acquaintances and then performers together?

ER: Oh that was awhile back…

LB: Yeah… well, you can tell the story, Ema.

ER: Well, we had a mutual friend… well, we didn’t know he was mutual at the time… and he gave me a call and I wasn’t playing with anybody, and he said, “I want you to come hear a band, we’re looking for a guitar player, and I think you’ll like the lead vocalist”. So the short story… I came, heard her, thought it was wonderful and basically joined, started playing… we went through a lot of changes… and what was it maybe two years?

LB: mm – hmm…

ER: We kind of just played the club circuit and somewhere during one of the transitions, we just kind of looked at each other… and Linda basically said, “You know, I’m ready. Let’s start doing some originals”.

LB: Yeah… I was just kind of tired of doing the cover tune thing and I tried on some different genres and I felt like this is where my feet belonged.

ER: … and it was all fine. It was great stuff to do it all, but we just thought it’s time to try something a little different. I kind of always stay underneath the radar a little bit. I like being in the background and Linda and I, we were a perfect fit… because… uh… it’s all about her… : )

LB: I made sure he figured that out really early on! : )

ER: She made that clear… I’m just teasing you!

LB: He loves me…

The songwriting just seems to come natural to the two of you. You put out a fun Christmas song… you wrote everything on the new album… the two of you. What were you doing before that?

LB: Well, I have to say… I didn’t even know that world existed or that I could be a part of it… and he really introduced me to that and built the confidence in me to say, “we can do this!”

There does seem to be a real smooth flow to the songs. They’re not un-complex, but they still sound easy.

ER: We’re a good match… and she brings all the inspirations. We work together, we don’t bring egos in, so there’s no drama. When we get together it’s just all about the work. It’s wonderful… so we can get to the point, cause we’ve got busy personal lives.

LB: Yeah, we do.

ER: We don’t have a lot of time, so when we get together we try to make the best of it.

LB: We want it to count.

ER: In LA, I did a lot of work down there, so I have quite a big background of writing originals, producing… arranging. After I moved up here, I just never found somebody I wanted to work with again in that capacity… and just by happenstance, I met Linda.

LB: Lucky me, lucky me!

That’s perfect, that’s perfect! Good, good. I’ve found in the Sacramento area, the whole scene is just really growing all the time… and to have you guys adding to that base of really good talent. So, what else do you have going for us here?

LB: I think we should do, “Less of Me”.

Alright! Yeah, that was really nice, yeah! That was a take… you can just put that one on the next record.

LB: Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I’m going to take that as a compliment!

Do you have any other events going on?

LB: The biggest thing on our agenda is the Jazz Jubilee. We’re coming back for a second time. They’ve been really good to us.

I think in just a short period of time you have really kind of started making an impact in the area. It seems like already people are aware of who you are and it wasn’t too long ago you didn’t exist… and now you’re already making a name for yourselves…

LB: …and people can pronounce it too!

We’re all in this together in the blues family.

ER: We love it because there are so many types of blues in town. You can get a taste of every type.

Well, yours is very important. Is there any place you’ll be playing at?

ER: Ugh… this is like jokes, can’t think of… just go onto our website and go to “where we’re at”…

LB: “Where I’m at!” : )

ER: …and you’ll see a long list of places that we play.

LB: Shameless plug: Ema is my webmaster and he makes me look good…

He’s great… now that’s a producer right there… and you produce the records and you cowrite the songs…

ER: …or slave… one of the two. : )

LB: You promised you wouldn’t say anything negative! : )

ER: I know, I know…

I’ll take it down when I hear the whips cracking!

ER: Oh, you should hear her fingers snap! Oh, my goodness… that’s when things get terrifying. : )

You guys are on a roll. I don’t want to slow it down. What have you got next?

LB: We’re going to do another tune called, “Walkin’ A Line With You”.

ER: Yeah, give me a tempo… I can’t remember this stuff…

LB: Pay attention. : )

Whoah… that was fantastic!

LB: Oh… go on…

A lot of people may not have the first album… you really need to check it out. Just look for Linda Bracamonte. It’s phonetically perfect…

LB: Precisely.

ER: It’s like the Full Monty with a Bracamonte in front of it.

There you go!

LB: Everybody’s going to the website to look at the pictures now…

…You can hear some of this great music on their existing CD… and we’re just going to have to wait a little while for these other songs. I’m sure there is going to be a lot more coming behind those…

ER: Yeah… there’s a lot of them on the back burner…

LB: mm - hmm.

I guess you’ve got one more. This is going really fast!

LB: The fact that you said this is going way too fast is a good segway. This song is about everybody being in too much of a hurry. This song is called, “Slow Down”.

ER: Tell me if I’m going too fast?

LB: I’ll tell you… oh, I’ll tell you! : )

Yeah… we need an EP at least of the new material.

ER: Thank you very much. We really want to thank you for having us.

LB: Absolutely. Thank you so much, Steve.

Well, it’s been a pleasure having you guys here… and again, that material is really fantastic… and if people want to hear some really great stuff, it’s available out there right now. The CD has 10 incredible songs… and the name of it is, “I Know the Difference Between a Sad Song and the Blues”.

ER: Thank you.

LB: Well, thanks… appreciate that.

It’s good to have you up here. That’s Ema Roberts, guitarist extraordinaire… and Linda Bracamonte, singer/songwriter extraordinaire… and they are Sacramento treasures. It was really good to have you both on. Maybe we’ll do it down the road… maybe it’ll be when the debut of the next record is. Anytime now and inbetween...

ER: Linda doesn’t have that much patience to wait that long… so it’ll always be sooner than later. : )

Well, the way you guys seem to write, it seems like it flows.

ER: We thank you for the support and a big thank you to all the people out there that have supported us…

…and you’ll be saying that on the Grammy stage pretty soon.

ER: It’s those people out there that make the Sacramento scene, the blues scene. It’s always appreciated, not just by us… I’m sure by all the bands out there. There’s a lot of good musicians out there… but those are great people coming to hear those musicians.

Coming from Chicago… it was really surprising to see the support in this town and that’s also up here in the foothills. This whole area is just full of good music and you guys definitely contribute your share to that. Well, thanks so much for coming out.

LB: Thank you.

ER: Thank you very much.

I’m going to go out with the title track from the CD, which is this phenomenal torch song. I’m sure everything that comes out of you guys... the creativity is going to be just as good moving forward.

February 28, 2010
Live acoustic performance and interview with Linda Bracamonte, Ema Roberts and Lance Davis.
(Below are excerpts from the live, on the air interview.)

Steve Cagle:
Alright. I’m in the booth right now with Linda Bracamonte, Ema Roberts and Lance Davis. It’s good to see all of you. We’re going to have a trio going for you here very shortly. Now you guys have got a new album in the works for you right now?

LB: Yes we do.

You’re in the studio rapping it up… or are in the midst of it?

ER: We’re in the midst of it.

You have a name or a working title for it?

LB: I’m thinking about it…

Well, you were here just about a year ago, January of 2009 you were in this booth… just an acoustic set… and it was really a fine set there.. and they were songs at that point that you were just working up?

LB: Yeah…

ER: Yeah, we wrote them especially for that show and we’ll being doing two that we’ve never played before on this show today… and they’ll be on the cd as well.

Excellent… and so you’re getting an exclusive out there folks on Blues Spectrum. I know you know Kyle [Rowland], because he sat in with you out at that show at the Red Lion…

LB: Yes, he did.

…he’s on your new album too, is that correct?

LB: He is and I’m excited about that!

You were just telling me that you got some airplay around the country and around the world?

ER: Yeah, yeah… Kool Breeze, Kansas City KCOR blues radio, they played some of our stuff this week… um, I believe it’s Radio Hostelbro in Denmark, they’ve been playing some of our music… we’ve gotten requests from Brazil to play some of our music…

LB: ...they just like my name, I think… : )

I think there’s a world tour brewing here?

ER: …so things are picking up… people are finding out about us and our songwriting, they’re liking it and they are playing it… and so that’s great!

Well, people can go to your website… and find out anything else they want to know about you?

LB: That’s right! Well, pretty much… yeah, you’ll know my business if you go there.

Where else are you going to be playing anytime these days?

LB: March is full of recording… but we’re going to be hitting it hard again in April… Tex Wasabi’s… we’ll be back at Bella Bru… then we’ve got a benefit in May we’re doing for the Homeless Connect… we do this every year now, it’s just a great cause to be a part of. We’ve got a lot of stuff coming up this summer, just keep an eye on our website and we’ll have the dates posted.

ER: Hanford Blues and Roots Festival in Hanford…

LB: …south of Fresno.

Lance, you had some other past transgressions as a bass player?

LD: I don’t really want to talk about my past too much… and also, I’m in the witness protection program!

…you don’t want anyone catching up with ya, man! I noticed the scars around your face, the plastic surgery and everything? : )

ER: Linda put those scars there. : )

Well, I’m gonna let you guys keep on rollin’ here, you’re on a roll…

LB: We are… this next song [Train, Train] is one we’re gonna have Kyle play on with us… yeah, we wanted to get Kyle in with us… so we got him… and he’s already laid the tracks down on this.

ER: Bruce Pressley [drummer, Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers] is playing the drums on this song…

Isn’t Mick on that album somewhere too?

ER: Yes he is. We’ve got a few guest stars that are going to be on the cd.

What is your target date?

ER: We’re shooting for June 1st… maybe a little bit sooner, hopefully not later… that’s our goal.

Are you going to have anything in advance on your website, any samples, any mp3s or anything like that?

LB: Distributors online like CD baby…

ER: Amazon.com, iTunes, Rhapsody…

LB: We have the lyrics posted on [our website] already… a little “sneek peek” of that… and yeah, we’ll be getting those mp3s in there as soon as we’ve got them wrapped up.

You know I’ve said to you… your music has that Nashville kind of flavor to it… and that would be a great town for you to work out of… not that I want to see you leave here. Your stardom is awaiting you.

LB: I like the sound of that. : )

ER: When you kind of tagged us with that label, “Nashville Blues”… you know, you struggle with what kind of category do we fit in… we thought, “wow, that’s it!”

LB: I’m comfortable with that.

The country people, the Nashville people also need to pay heed to your music as well.

[performed, “It Aint About You”, one of five songs performed live this day]

What you see live is the solos, on the albums, but not in the depth that they are in your live performances…

LB: Yeah… well, I just kinda ran right over his solo there, that’s okay…

ER: That’s alright…

LB: …he loves me anyway. : )

Yep, yep, oh yeah… you didn’t bring your wah wah pedal, did you?

ER: No… no

LB: I miss the whammy bar, though…

I think that English guy, Jeff Beck, stole some of your stuff…?

ER: Oh, yeah… what are you gonna do? : )

LB: Actually, I’ll be playing the accordion on the cd…

What is that keyboard, guitar, fusion… ?

LB: That’s exactly what it is… a keyboard, guitar, keytar… and it’s a mean accordion when it wants to be!

That’s great!

ER: Would like to thank all the people out there… and it’s not just friends. Facebook has allowed us to connect with people all over… everywhere… you know, people that don’t know us and don’t have a reason to say anything, and they’ll write in and compliment the songwriting. That’s a big part of what we do and we love doing it… and it’s really nice that it’s appreciated.

Absolutely! It’s all originals on your records… and that’s great!

LB: Thank you for your support, Steve.

It’s a pleasure having you and it’s great to have you here again… and I’m hoping the next time after your cd comes out… of course, we’ll have that cd here in our library and we’ll be playing it.

ER: We’d love to come back anytime.

Well, that deserves a standing ovation, but I’m already standing, so… again, Nashville calls… Austin, Texas…

LB: I’ll take that… you’re very kind. Thank you, Steve.

Well, it was great hearing you again. Thank you for coming in.