A few months ago I was blessed to interview the talented musician and songwriter, Gaelynn Lea right after she won the NPR Tiny Desk concert (you can read that one here).
Now, six months later, we sit down to chat about life on the road, upcoming projects, and new bands she is into. Read below and make sure to purchase her cd's! Those are available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and other fine retailers.
You have embarked on many great projects since the last time we talked. How're you doing?
Doing very well. There is a lot going on but it’s been a fun couple of months. I’ve been playing a lot of different places I have never played before and it’s been busy for sure.
How has the tour gone?
We had a lot of fun moments. At the beginning of the tour I got to speak at the CD Baby conference for independent artists. I met a lot of people and it was a lot of fun. We had a show in Des Moines Iowa and it was fun because my friend Al Church was able to come along to play guitar with me and they aired it on Iowa public radio. I had a show in Winona, Minnesota and it was sold out, and the vibe was great, and the audience was so supportive. Also, going to colorado and seeing mountains, it was really beautiful and a lot of fun. You know you get up and drive and play a show...it’s been a lot of fun. Life on the road is fun, but very busy. I love playing so I’ve been enjoying doing that so often. This tour has only been 11 days and having my husband come along has been great.
Do you have a favorite venue?
There were a lot of really fun ones, the Des Moines theater was really nice and Winona was great. I wouldn’t necessary say there’s one better than the other. They are all different and I’m playing in a wide variety of venues. I played in a Day Center for people with disabilities and that was really fun and totally different from the other shows obviously because the people who were there all had developmental disabilities. It was fun because they all had a lot of fun. All the shows I’ve played had their own positive vibes. I wish more musicians did that kind of thing, played for persons at facilities like the day center.
Your fanbase seems super cool. It's always great to share and experience music with others. What would you say is the best part of having fans?
I don’t know, it’s so weird. I don’t know if I have an answer to that. I just think it’s cool to be a part of an experience where music touches people. Music has a lot of it’s own power, but it is fun to be a part of that experience with people and they connect and feel happy. I’ve gone to new places and met new people and I know the next time I go back we can reconnect. That’s been one of my favorite parts is that my world has expanded and new relationships have been created.
How has the tour inspired your songwriting?
Well, I haven’t found a ton of time to song-write yet, but I’ve been thinking and singing more little bits that are waiting to be written out. It’s influenced my playing and singing and I feel more polished because I’ve been playing so much, but songwriting is a different beast. You have to really be able to take the time and get in the zone and that is hard to do while touring.
On a more serious note, throughout your travels, you’ve brought to light the issue of accessibility to public spaces for those persons who utilize wheelchairs. Would you say the fact that you’re now a public figure is helping to make positive changes for that issue?
I’m hoping that it is. Every time I’m listing out what I need for gigs, they include a ramp and where they can rent one. A significant amount of venues have made a point to get a ramp in advance. I think that’s a big first step, and I talk about it as much as I can in interviews, and when people bring it up. I don’t think one person can make all the difference, but if more people talk about it more, than hopefully they will think about it more. Accessibility is not part of the national consciousness yet, but people who tend to think about it have a connection, such as working with disabilities, or they themselves are, or become, disabled.
I'm excited about your holiday disc! How's that going?
I’m really excited about it. I ended up having to listen to final mixes on the road, and a lot of the prep I’ve done in the car but it worked out! I really liked the way it turned out and I think it is a unique take on Christmas music.
You've been pretty busy since the NPR contest. What have been the biggest changes to your life since then, and will you have a chance to rest and relax at the holidays? So the biggest change has been the touring and working with a booking agent. Thankful that my husband is able to travel along. A big thing is going to Ireland in December, I’ve never been overseas so that will be a new, cool experience. During the holidays I’m just hoping to focus on family and relax, maybe write a few songs.
If you could play a concert anywhere in the world where would that be?
Probably Paris. I took French for six years and I love the language. And, I’d love to try real French food and hear some French music.
What are your favorite cd's to listen to on the road?
Oh, this is easy! We’ve been listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland nonstop and we’ve been getting CD’s from other bands we’ve played with such as Esme Patterson and Wheelchair Sports Camp. I was really excited to meet a musician named Kalyn. She has the same disability of me and she is a hip hop artist. Her band is called Wheelchair Sports Camp and I've listened to her CD a lot because I can relate to it.
Do you have plans to conduct any master classes or fiddle jams while touring or back home? Right now there’s so much going on that I am not taking on any teaching, but someday it would be cool to do a masterclass but I’m just trying to focus on doing a good job at the current projects and hopefully when things settle down I can get back to teaching.
More information about Gaelynn Lea, and upcoming concerts can be found on her website violinscratches.com and also on her Facebook page.
More information about Kalyn, and her band, Wheelchair Sports Camp can be found at their website wheelchairsportscamp.co