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January 23-29

New Music: interview with Annie Dressner

annie dressnerI naturally gravitate towards acoustic rock, so when I heard Annie Dressner's debut album Strangers who knew each other's names, I felt happy. Her quirky style and what I call "a smile in the voice" are just like a good honest talk with a friend. Perhaps, it is this conversational nature of her lyrics that goes so well with the back to basics folk rock. You can hear loneliness and vulnerability in her music which evokes a little bit of Joni Mitchell. Her voice also reminded me of Mazzy Star. I hear optimism in her music, a light at the end of the tunnel. Annie Dressner wrote the eleven original songs on this new album, and she admits they are autobiographical. Read my exclusive interview with this talented singer-songwriter below.

When did you write your first song? Please describe the experience.

The first song I wrote was when I was studying theatre at RADA in London for the summer between high school and college.  I really missed one of my friends - a boy who I really did care for.  I had never really told him in so many words, and I guess a song came out.  As I had only been playing guitar for about a month at that point (I taught myself for the two weeks following high school graduation on a tiny guitar that had been in my house for most of my life), I wanted to impress myself and others with all that I had learned.  So yeah - I basically told a boy I liked him over very many chords that may or may not have gone very well together.  I do have the song written down in a notebook - who knows -- maybe it will emerge again.

What made you want to become a singer-songwriter?

To be honest, it never occurred to me that this was an option.  Singing is and has always been my passion.  I wanted to be an actor for my entire childhood and up until I was about 20.  Music makes me happy and helps me deal with life in many ways.  I kept writing songs (maybe one a year) for some years for myself.  I did not share these with others.  One day I was feeling brave and shared some songs with a friend.  I only got through parts of them and got very shy about it.  My friend told me that I should either not do it at all or take myself seriously.  I guess I decided to take myself seriously and go for it full-force.  (Thank you, friend!)

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW NOW.

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from Allen Klein, Mr. Jollytologist:

My mom lived to be over 95-years-old. Did she exercise everyday? Not really. Although we did live in a fifth-floor walk-up apartment, so some days she did get a workout on the stairs. Did she live a healthy lifestyle? No. We put chicken fat on our bread, had meat at least five times a week and ate mostly canned, not fresh, vegetables. In addition, my Mom smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. Did she have a great sense of humor? Yes. And I’m convinced it kept her going all those years. For example, Every time she went to the doctor, she hired a van service to take her there and back. One late afternoon, when she was in the doctor’s office, her ride didn't show up to take her home. Since the doctor had to close the office, the receptionist suggested that my Mom wait for the van in the pizza parlor downstairs. After waiting a long time, the van still didn't show up. So my Mom went up to the guy behind the counter and asked, "Do you deliver?" The man replied, "Of course, lady, we’re a pizza place!" "Great," my Mom said, "I’d like a pepperoni pizza and I’d like to go with it."
PS- Mom is gone but her humor lives on. She inspired me teach others about the therapeutic value of humor in both my books and my keynote speeches.

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