bo ely cd interview: with linda bracamonte, vocalist / songwriter
linda bracamonte — i know the difference between a sad song and the blues
What were your contributions on the new CD (instruments played, vocals)?
Snapping my fingers ......and vocals, both leads and harmonies.
How did you prepare or what was your approach for the new CD?
Well, Ema and I had spent close to three years writing together and talking about "someday" when we'd go into the studio. Then one night — following a show where we debuted the title track song "I Know the Difference", my dear Tim demanded, "you've got to record that song!" He, like many of our faithful friends and fans had been asking for a cd of our original material for some time and other than the obvious obstacle of time limitations, I couldn't go on making excuses for putting it off any longer. Ema and I needed to get into the studio and record - It was long overdue for us to have something tangible of our efforts over the past few years. So, that's when my fingers started snappin'.
My approach to the recordings was rather reckless, I must admit. Sometimes I have the faith of a child... I jump in and believe somehow that I'm going to land on my feet — and boy, am I happy I did on this one. In spite of Ema's reservations and concerns of what could go wrong (always the more practical one) I insisted that we could make this happen. He trusted me to be there, whether the cd project was a success or not, and I trusted Ema to look out for my best interests — from selecting a studio that had experience recording female vocals, to working out the arrangements to best suit my
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photo by nancy stegemann |
How was this experience in the studio compared to your last CD?
Completely different. The previous cd was of cover tunes, songs that I enjoyed but had to find a connection with. My approach to that cd was focused on learning the songs then performing them to the best of my ability. Although I enjoyed the experience, the dynamics were completely different.
The "I Know the Difference" cd is a far more personal project. Most of the songs on the cd stemmed from my business and sharing my stories with Ema. The emotion that I give to the songs comes from within - - I didn't have to find a way to connect with it — it IS me. What I love about the cd is that it represents so many different attitudes, from my insecurities to my finger snappin'. Every night that we left the studio — I was totally exhausted — both physically and emotionally, but in the end — it was worth it!
What is it like collaborating on a song with Ema and is it tougher to sing the songs that you did not write with him?
Ema and I recognized early on that collaborating on any level musically would require us to have unconditional acceptance and trust in each other. That means to put aside our pride, to not be afraid of our creativity, risking some bad suggestions once in a while and mostly, to put aside being "right". Through that musical collaboration, he and I have developed a rewarding friendship. That friendship has provided us the opportunity to share our creative nature and produce songs from stories that we've shared as friends. Every song on this cd
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photo by ema roberts |
How did you come up with the concept for the CD package?
Ema is an artist, through and through. Aside from his musical gifts, he is also a photographer and graphics artist. So Ema, with the assistance of his wife Nancy (hug hug), conducted several photoshoots for me. What I so appreciated was Ema's diligence to ensure that professional, edgy, artsy but authentic images of me were captured for this project. I’d say he was a success!
What is your favorite song on the CD and why?
Wow.... tough question..... but I might have to say "Saved My Life"...... because that song is about my friendship with Ema. He and I really have saved each other's musical life. That's not an overstatement either. I don't know if I'd even be involved with a musical project right now had I not met Ema six years ago...... who'd of ever thunk that my life would be so rich with music, that I would be promoting a cd of original music (at my age) and that I'd have dreams of writing and creating music until I grow old? Yeah.... Saved
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photo by nancy stegemann |
Did you change any of your original vocal arrangements while in the studio and if so, how?
A little here and there - some of the melodies were modified to deliver the right emotions in the lyrics - - most notably on the title track, "I Know the Difference".
What things inspire you when you are writing?
Joy and pain, love and hate...... life. I want to sing about what I've lived so that I can be real and relate to others who hear my voice. What an honor to be invited into another person’s emotional space to be able to touch them with understanding and compassion, or joy and laughter — to evoke emotion.... that is what makes me want to write.
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photo by ema roberts |
What is next for Linda Bracamonte? Where do you plan to go from here?
Back to the creative workroom with Ema! I'm so excited to make an even greater contribution to our writing - - Already got a couple of ideas and I see us back in the studio next year doing this again, even better next time!
What were the biggest challenges and the most enjoyable moments of the recording sessions?
Feeling so incredibly inadequate and vulnerable in front of everyone and being patient and forgiving and mostly accepting of myself — definitely the most challenging..... Not to mention the ridiculous deadlines that we put on ourselves....
The most enjoyable.... Handing out the completed cds to Ema, John, Lance and Matt (meeting our deadlines) and that feeling of accomplishment. I'm proud to have had this opportunity with each of them — and I can’t wait to do it all over again!
BO ELY CD INTERVIEWS
linda bracamonte | ema roberts | lance davis | john swanson | matt kaiser
BO ELY 2006/07 INTERVIEWS
linda bracamonte | ema roberts | lance davis | john swanson | matt kaiser
linda bracamonte band | it’s all about me | where i’m at | where the boys are | talk to me
special features | photo gallery | buy my stuff | download this | say something nice | sammies: vote for me
linda bracamonte official website | www.lindabracamonte.com
ema roberts • lance davis • matt kaiser • john swanson
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