Joan Osborne Heads to the Mahaiwe
 Joan Osborne will perform at the Mahaiwe on Friday, March 11, at 8 p.m. |
Question: It's difficult to pigeonhole your style into any one genre. What kind of music do you consider your roots, the stuff you go back to for inspiration?
Answer: That whole area of music – roots, blues – that's where I really learned about how to sing, by studying that music. I just finished "Love and Hate" at Lincoln Center and certain things about that are rootsy, but there's also a lot of strings involved and leans more towards classical music as well. I hope that I bring that soulfulness to anything that I try on. I'm too greedy to stick to one thing.
Q: You have a daughter now, how has becoming a parent influenced your career and your music?
A: I think that having a kid has made me deeper as an artist. There's a quote from Roseanne Cash, I'm not going to get it exactly right, where she says that it opens up different rooms in your heart. That can only be a good thing as an artist. I do sometimes think about what is my daughter going to think about these songs that I'm writing and this life that I'm living. She gives me the impetus to be real and honest and work as hard as I can. After all, I am her sole provider. And thankfully, she has demanded that we listen to pop radio in the car and that's gotten me to listen to something I never would have. I always knew Pink was a good singer but now I am a huge fan of her work. It's taught me that there is definitely more to be discovered.
Q: Who are your musical role models today?
A: Well, of course, there's Etta James and Otis Redding, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, all blues. I'm also a huge Pretenders fan. Chrissie Hynde is an amazing writer and a great force. There is such authority in what she does. The same goes for Patti Smith. I always wonder what my career is going to be like. They've really demonstrated the possibilities for me as I get older. There is always room for people to do this amazing work.
Q: Do you have a particular venue that you prefer? Big concerts, intimate spaces, festivals?
A: Thankfully, I've had a lot of different choices. Playing at an outdoor festival with over 8,000 people – that's a rush. Yet, with smaller theaters there are subtleties you can use and there are things that I love about the sound. This might sound a little cliche but there is an intimacy about the smaller venues. I get to meet people afterwards when I'm singing and I do get a minute or two with each fan. Everybody has a story about a song and listening to those stories makes my connection that much more real. Meeting people is also a way to gauge new material. I can just talk to them and ask them. Sometimes the say they liked the older songs better or that the acoustic stuff is really working. I get to see what people are connecting to.
