Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Caroline Newsom is an American harpist, pianist, vocalist, lyricist and actress...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth18 January 1982
CountryUnited States of America
writing college years
Around eighth grade I decided I wanted to be a composer and that's what I went to college for. Just a few years back, I switched out of composition and into creative writing so I could work with words.
song writing years
I have writing songs on my own for about six years.
song writing thinking
I wanted to write songs which I think is a different thing. I wanted to write music that is informed by folk music. The chord progressions are obvious references.
writing always-trying trying
I am always trying to write.
song writing thinking
I have a voice that's obviously untrained - and I think untrainable - so I kind of secreted it away for a long time. Actually, I would write songs with lyrics when I was younger, but I would just sing in my head.
beautiful writing writing-music
I wasn't interested in writing music that wasn't beautiful for me to listen to.
cross deterrent expensive huge record tour
I would like to be on a record label, because it is very expensive to tour with a harp. It's a huge deterrent for me to go cross country.
american-musician bring music playing sound trying ways work
I am consciously not trying to bring in World Music elements. The ways that I work and feel are completely different in how they sound than someone playing the Kora in Africa would play it.
american-musician felt songs urge
Well, yeah, I wanted to resist the urge to thicken everything up with instrumentation, because I just felt like I was interested in seeing how the songs did on their own.
american-musician good influenced invalid pleased sounds strokes valid
It's valid that the Strokes and the Pleased have been influenced by some of the same bands. But it's invalid in the sense that we listen to the Strokes and try to sounds like them. I think that they are a good band.
people totally
It's totally different. I usually don't tell people about the Pleased if they know me from the harp. And if they are there to see the Pleased, I usually don't tell them about the harp. I am nervous that these people will expect something similar.
school
I went to school to become a composer.
allowed danger face instead layers taken
If you are too serious, you are in danger of having everything taken at face value, instead of being allowed to have layers to it.
teacher years play
I didn't sing for years and years, but I started playing harp when I was maybe 9 or 10. I had actually wanted to play for years leading up to that, but no teacher in our little town would take me on as a student, because I was too young.