These days, it’s not that difficult to find Patrick Gemayel (P-Thugg) and David Macklovitch (Dave 1), the childhood friends who comprise the retro-electro-funksters Chromeo. They’re on tour, of course, wrapping up the third, and final, round of dates around their 2010 release, Business Casual. The pair, based in Montreal, Quebec, first burst onto the scene in 2004 with their debut, She’s in Control, and it’s worldwide club smash, “Needy Girl.” But it wasn’t until 2007’s Fancy Footwork that things really blew up. Since then, the tongue-in-cheek mobile dance party has funked-up the biggest stages across the globe including Glastonbury, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Reading and Leeds — among hundreds of others. On Monday night, they’ll be in town converting wallflowers at the House of Blues downtown. I recently caught up with Macklovitch before a gig in Boulder, Colo., and talked new music, putting his teaching and student career on hiatus, and that signature Chromeo sound.

Scott McDonald: How goes it?
Dave Macklovitch: Everything’s cool. But it’s the autopilot tour grind right now. We just try to maintain and make sure every show is good. We want each performance to be better than the last.

SM: Has that been working?
DM: People love it. And they react that way because it’s real. You know what I mean? There’s no big label telling us what to do. We don’t make songs for the radio. And we’re not thinking about anything but making it a party. We’re just two childhood friends, making weird music and having fun with it.

SM: Have you started working on new material?
DM: I started writing about a year ago. But we’ve both been writing on our own and when the touring stops, we’ll put all of the ideas together and really get crackin’.

SM: Seems like you have a lot going on outside of the band as well.
DM: Yeah. But I’m just doing music right now. It will stay that way for the next couple of months. I’m going at (his PHD in French Literature) at my own pace now. And at this point, all I’m doing is writing. So when I get off tour, I’ll be headed to the library and I’ll start writing again. They know I’ll finish it, when I finish it. I haven’t been teaching as much, but when I want to teach, I teach. Before, I was teaching 3 days, then I’d fly out, do a Chromeo show, fly back, and teach again. But I wanted to do a real tour this time. Thankfully, this does make me a little bit flexible when I want it.

SM: Does it ever seem like too much?
DM: Naw. We’ll never burn out. We’re too smart. We plan everything very carefully. And we try to stay healthy and balanced in how we strategize all of the Chromeo activities. If you look at the touring we did around Business Casual, no one can fuck with us. We did one before it came out, we did one at the height of the promotion, and we’re doing one now – to make sure we go out with a bang on this record.

SM: How do you reconcile all of your influences?
DM: Well, for example, things like hip-hop and R&B are more of an attitude for us. While our music might not exactly reflect it, people like R. Kelly and The Dream directly influence us because of the way they approach their lyrics. To us, that is really, really important. And we’re the kind of band that wants to turn all of the love song tropes on their head. But it’s a vortex. The 80s are our backbone, but there are a whole lot of other influences in there as well.

SM: Could they ever change the formula?
DM: I don’t think so. There’s one Chromeo sound. And if we lose that Chromeo sound, we lose who we are. But I feel like we can really stretch it. Everyone we admire can do that. A LCD Soundsystem song is unmistakable, but it could be anything from a jam to a ballad. He (James Murphy) can stretch it, but it still makes sense. Same thing with Kanye West. And that’s exactly what we always want to do as well.

SM: You said lyrics are important. Yours are pretty funny.
DM: It’s the classic high-brow/low-brow trick. There’s no middle ground. If you want middle ground, you can listen to Maroon 5.

SM: What’s next?
DM: Back to the studio to make some new music.

Originally published by NBC San Diego on October 17, 2011

Scott McDonald: You and [Drums co-founder] Jacob [Graham] have been friends for so long. Does it help the band knowing someone that long?
Johnny Pierce: Well, Jacob and I have been very close since before we were even teenagers. I think we thought we knew all there was to know about each other, but touring for three years has shown both of us that there is so much more to know. I feel as though we are growing together through all of this. Some of this growth has been lovely — other parts of it have been ugly.

SM: Portamento keeps the energy of the first record and builds on it. Was there a difference in the process?
JP: One of our goals with this band is to stay consistent sonically. Our favorite bands always sounded the same with every song and usually to critical fault, but we never really cared about critics. We just do what we do. I think the only main difference here is subject matter. I wanted to write an honest album … one that was less escapist than our previous releases.

SM: Production sounds a lot cleaner this time around. Did you just have access to better equipment?
JP: Well, we didn’t buy a single piece of new recording equipment. I think it’s just like anything else one does. You just get better with practice.

SM: Is that you on the front cover? The pics seem to mirror each other.
JP: Yes, that is me as a boy. I found that photo while looking for a cover that reflects the autobiographical nature of the album. I like that you used the word mirror in your question because that was the exact intent.

SM: Sick of the Joy Division/Smiths/etc. comparisons yet or does that just come with the territory?
JP: Those are all good bands that got me into the bands that I obsessed over growing up — like the Wake and Blueboy — so I don’t mind the comparisons. I do have to say I haven’t personally listened to Joy Division or the Smiths in years … I just can’t anymore.

SM: It was publicized that you guys almost split recently. What happened and how did you guys keep it together?
JP: Oh, it’s like anything else. If you run too fast for too long, you’re gonna crash and burn. Touring was starting to grate on all of us. Thankfully, working on Portamento helped unify us again in some ways.

SM: You write some damn catchy tunes. Can you see the formula ever changing?
JP: I have such a big fetish for perfectly constructed pop, and I think that will always dominate this band. But I also have a soft spot for linear, repetitive house — like some of the smart house that Kompakt has been releasing for years.

SM: What is the current incarnation of the band? Are you at the kit when you play live?
JP: We are five onstage. Jacob has moved to synth, and Connor has moved to guitar. We have a couple friends joining us on drums and bass. I just sing, but I did record and program all the drums on Portamento.

SM: Two years and two albums. Is the plan for a new record sometime next year?
JP: I think we are going to take a year and focus on some other things. For one, I’d like to meet someone and fall in love.

Originally published by NBC San Diego on October 15, 2011

It turns out the cliché is true: Good things sometimes do come in small packages. For instance, take diminutive Malaysian singer/songwriter Zee Avi, who plays at the Loft at UCSD on Sunday, and at M-Theory Records earlier in the day. Born Iyan Alirahman, the petite 26-year-old songstress has a beautifully big voice, and it doesn’t hurt that she has buckets of charm to go along with it.

It wasn’t until four years ago when she posted a YouTube video of herself (for a friend who missed a show) that others began to take notice. The routine “sorry you couldn’t make it” posting turned into a classic case of “one thing leads to another,” with industry folks passing the link around like a red-hot demo. Now Avi is on Jack Johnson’s record label, Brushfire Records, and just released her sophomore effort, Ghostbird, while working with Beastie Boy producer Mario Calado Jr. and DJ Cut Chemist during the process. I recently spoke with the incredibly charming singer before a gig in Seattle about the new album, Public Enemy and her role as a storyteller.

Originally published by NBC San Diego  on October 16, 2011

Canadian illustrator, sculptor, musician and producer Chad VanGaalen hasn’t had much of a break in the last few years.

Content for a long time as a visual artist, someone heard some of the recordings he had been making in his makeshift basement studio in 2003 and thought they were better than the handmade/hand-drawn treatment they were getting. Before he knew it, a collection of VanGaalen’s scattered compositions was being released as his debut on the Canadian label Flemish Eye, and the album, Infiniheart, was picked up by Sup Pop Records shortly after. It’s been quite a whirlwind ever since.

VanGaalen has released three more of his own full-lengths for Sub Pop and one of more experimental material, under the moniker Black Mold, for the influential Seattle label. He’s created all of the art for his albums and videos, as well as the art and animation for artists like Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis, Guster, and Holy Fuck. VanGaalen also served as producer on both albums from fellow Canadian indie darlings Women. His latest offering, Diaper Island, takes its cues from that last trip to the studio with his fellow countrymen and incorporates much more of a guitar-driven sound than VanGaalen has ever done before. I recently spoke with the multi-tasking artist — and father of two — from his home in Calgary about the new album, a new studio, his role as musician and how he manages to keep up with it all. 

Scott McDonald: Diaper Island definitely has some new sounds on it. Result of the new studio?
Chad VanGaalen: The first record I produced in the new studio was Public Strain – the Women record — and having a real space for the first time, I was actually able to get some good guitar sounds with very little between the amp and the tape machine. And I really liked how it turned out. So, I guess, part of it is just plain laziness. I also had another kid in the meantime, so I was like, “OK, let’s steal a lot of the production notes from the last record.”

SM: It does seem far more guitar-driven.
CV: Well, I’ve always been pretty jealous of the rhythm- and lead-guitar parts, and I’ve always been scared to do more of it because I’ve never been able to do that live. I’ve never had two or three guitars going on. But on this tour, there’s no bass; it’s just three guitars and drums. So the timing is right.

SM: It also seems like the new record is more, for lack of a better word, streamlined.
CV: I had a lot of time with the other records — maybe too much time — and I’m definitely quarantining the sounds now. I’ll be putting out a couple of drone records at the end of the year, as well as an instrumental, synth-rock record. In the past, maybe all of that would have been appearing on one album in a jumbled fashion, and I just feel like when I’m making that stuff now, I want to focus on one sound. And I feel like it’s been hard to properly represent all of that in the live setting anyway.

SM: How do you represent all of the different sounds live?
CV: We whittle it back to the song. There’s a lot of singing and harmony, and lot of times that will be a synth line or something like that, but it definitely doesn’t sound like the records. It’s far more rock & roll live. I’m sure that sounds pretty boring, but that’s what it is. I mean, we were carrying around things like acoustic drum machines and all kinds of miscellaneous noise-making devices for a long time, but that just got tedious. I don’t want to be just pressing a button or something. Ultimately, that’s the worst thing you can do. Then, there’s no growth, it’s just the same thing every night.

SM: Is the new record indicative of the direction you’re going, or do you feel like a return to your lo-fi roots is possible?
CV: I definitely think there’s a digression needed. At least that’s what’s in my mind right now, with the ideas that I have. As I get older, I’m simplifying everything and trimming the fat. And it is going backward in time. The most hi-fi that I’ll ever be has probably already happened.

SM: Especially with a family, it really seems like you have a lot going on.
CV: I’m actually glad you said that, because it does feel like a lot. I’m totally in love with visual art, first and foremost. I’m totally comfortable doing it. Music for me is … well, first of all, I don’t know who the fuck decided that this was a good idea, but it is so hard. It’s just so very hard for me to maintain it. I never imagined myself a musician, so it’s been pretty daunting for me to legitimately be like, “Hey, this is who I am.” Visual arts are way easier for me, just because I’ve been doing it for so long. And producing is just … I don’t know … I just go at it. And it helps when the people you’re working with are your friends. But I couldn’t go into some big studio. I’ve just been working on that equipment for the last 15 years, so I know how to use it. But it’s a lot. And throw two kids into the mix, and it really is a lot. But I’m a visual artist, and this winter I’ll be doing at least a couple of paintings and probably a little sculpture.

SM: I hope that doesn’t mean no more music.
CV: That there are people who like what I do is the only reason that I’ve kept the ball rolling. That is … well … it’s just incredible to me. I never imagined that anyone would ever care. I’m completely flattered that anyone is out there listening any more.

Originally published by NBC San Diego  on October 10,2011

There’s really only one question that needs to be asked when talking about Los Angeles pop-punkers Dum Dum Girls. And, to me, that’s: How can you not like Dee Dee (aka Kristin Gundred) and her merry band of lady tricksters? I mean, really? A uniformly stylish, sassy, all-girl group that rocks it like they talk it, is influenced by the best that came before them and is fronted by an intelligent, confident, beautiful bandleader who has a knack for churning out jagged little pop nuggets of goodness? What the hell is not to like?

Not to mention that Dee Dee just happens to be married to Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles, one of San Diego’s very best musical exports at the moment. The Dum Dums also just dropped their second full-length, Only in Dreams, on Tuesday, and the album is a more complete and well-put-together effort than anything the band has done yet. Dum Dum Girls kick off their tour to support the new record with a two-night stand at the Casbah on Friday and Saturday, and as an added bonus for all of us who wouldn’t miss it, Crocodiles and a bunch of other like-minded musical hipsters will be in tow. I recently spoke with Dee Dee, who was with the band rehearsing in Los Angeles, about it all.

SM: Last time we spoke, you were moving to San Francisco, and now you’ve completely flipped coasts.
DD: Brandon and I have always wanted to move to New York. It’s just such an intense move to make — physically moving your stuff across the country, as well as financially; it’s just so much harder to find a place. It’s always been so daunting to think about. You look at Craigslist and it’s “Listings With a Realtor” and “Listings Without a Realtor.” It’s kind of like, “Holy s—, this is complicated!” But San Francisco didn’t feel right. We both felt like we needed a fresh start, and we fell into a perfect place in New York. It was stress-free. We jumped on it, packed everything up and drove over.

SM: How are you liking it?
DD: I love it, but I am definitely a true West Coast girl. Maybe not for the obvious cliché reasons, but I am. It’s where I feel at home. San Francisco was my Mecca as a teenager, I went to school in Santa Cruz, and I just love California and those middle areas where you have the water and the mountains. That’s my paradise. But at the same time, I’ve always heavily romanticized New York. And every time I go there, I convince myself that I can feel it in the air. And whether or not that’s psychosomatic, I do feel an energy there that I love. We wanted to move to the city, and we were lucky enough to find an apartment on the Upper East Side that’s very Woody Allen. It’s very anonymous. It’s like a retreat. And it’s ideal to have that to go home to. You can tap into the crazy quite easily anywhere, but to have that to go home to is something that I value a lot.

First published by NBC San Diego on September 30, 2011

Last time he was in California, the closest that Danish producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Anders Trentemøller got to San Diego was playing at April’s Coachella festival.

No stranger to huge crowds, the minimalist electronic musician made a name for himself playing to an estimated 50,000 fans at the 2009 Roskilde Festival in his native Denmark.

Audiences are sure to be a bit smaller during his North American club and theater swing, but those who catch his Wednesday set at the Belly Up will get the same large-scale performance the DJ designed for hordes of festivalgoers in the past.

“We are so looking forward to coming back again,” Trentemøller said recently from his home studio in Copenhagen. “We’ve added some new visuals to the show, but we’re also keeping a lot of the elements we had from the last time. We also have the chance to play in some new cities and some new venues, so we are excited. When we played Coachella, we were only allowed to play for 50 minutes and only played one song with vocals. We are looking forward to playing a full set and doing more of our songs with singing. It’s going to be a totally new kind of journey.”

The journey won’t include scaling things back despite the change in audience size, but it will still be kept in proportion. While the visual component is an important aspect of the shows, Trentemøller refuses to let it take over.

“The music is definitely cinematic,” he said. “We really don’t have a lead singer, and so much of it is instrumental, so I feel it’s really important to have something that can ‘set the scene,’ so to speak. Without dictating too much, the visuals can make a vibe for the music. But it can’t be too much —- then people watch it more than the band. We are six people playing onstage together, so I like to use things that incorporate well with all of us.”

Switching between solo performances as a DJ and full-band performances, Trentemøller also transitions between the electronic and rock worlds. He first gained exposure from creating house music and playing keyboards, guitar and drums in indie bands in Copenhagen. Being recognized as an international ambient DJ is somewhat of a newfound role for the 37-year-old composer. But he said he cherishes the opportunity to indulge in multiple genres and responsibilities, and doesn’t plan to change things up anytime soon.

“That’s the thing for me,” he said. “I always try to be both. I always say to people that I have one leg in the club scene, and one in the rock scene. And for me, it’s not hard to mix those two. I love that people can have such a different experience when they come and see me as a DJ than they do when they come and see me play with a band. And I think that people are now realizing that I can be both. They’re much more open-minded to it now.”

Trentemøller has also remixed a lot of other artists’ songs, and his new album —- a double CD aptly titled “Reworked/Remixed” —- highlights much of that work from the past few years. But the multi-instrumentalist sees the new release more as a compilation and will not be playing songs from it during the live show.

“This is effectively the second part of the Great Wide Yonder Tour,” he said. “But we change it up by playing new versions of the songs and reworking things from the last time we were in the States. But the music seems to change just by us playing it over and over. New things appear, people switch it up, and it happens without us trying.”

Whether scripted or on the fly, the DJ and his band want to create a special experience for fans every night.

“These shows really have their own life,” Trentemøller said. “We don’t know where they’re going to go a lot of the time. But then again, that’s what makes them fun for everyone involved.”

First published by North County Times on October 20, 2011

]]> http://www.eight24.com/2011/11/19/almost-10-questions-for-a-a-bondy/feed/ 0 http://www.eight24.com/2011/11/12/jolie-hollands-covered-in-blood/ http://www.eight24.com/2011/11/12/jolie-hollands-covered-in-blood/#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:15:39 +0000 Scott McDonald http://www.eight24.com/?p=256 Continue reading »]]>

Jolie Holland is not a simple interview. The 36-year-old Texan turned musical vagrant is articulate, opinionated and not afraid to tell you what’s on her mind — or call bullshit if she doesn’t like what’s on yours.

But what makes her a dangerous subject is exactly makes her an interesting and exciting singer/songwriter. During the course of five ANTI- albums, including this summer’s Pint of Blood, Holland has blurred the lines between Americana, country, folk and blues in endlessly engaging ways.

What really separates the multi-instrumentalist from many of her talented peers, however, is that voice. Her husky timbre reeks with authenticity and has an undeniably timeless quality. Whether it’s one of her meticulously crafted ballads or a stripped-down cover of a tune from one of her influences, the vocals seem as natural in a New York City concert hall as they do in a backwoods juke joint. Along with her band, the Grand Chandeliers — Indigo Street, Carey Lamprecht and Scott Magee — Holland is embarking on the second leg of the Blood tour and will make a stop at UCSD’s Loft on Monday night. I caught up with her — while she was at sound check at a recent gig in Portland — and talked about her new album and beyond.

Scott McDonald: I was surprised to find that the new record was recorded at home.

Jolie Holland: Oh, that’s a lie. And you should know — as a journalist — that so much bullshit gets quoted out there. It wasn’t recorded at home. That is complete bullshit. We used really nice equipment. But, my piano was in a great mood. The weather is so crazy in New York. The heat gets turned on in the winter, and it’s really hard on pianos, but right in the middle of the summer, they’re really happy, and mine was in a super-good mood when we recorded. So we did do that at my house. But we were working with Shahzad Ismaily, who is a very creative and talented engineer, and I also know how to get sounds that I like. So technically, we worked in homes for a couple of things, but not for most of it.

At this point Holland excuses herself for a moment: 

“Hey! Can you pick me out an amp? Great. Rad.”

[She returns to me for a second]  It’s so nice to work with a great touring band.

“Indigo — I’m so grateful for you. Thank you. I’m so happy you’re picking out an amp for me right now. It’s so rad. You are the fucking best!”

JH: Sorry about that.

SM: No sweat. This seems like a pretty personal record.

JH: I like a lot of songwriters who are kind of naïve in their writing. Two of my favorites are Willie Nelson and Daniel Johnston. There’s just a naïve quality to their songwriting that I’m incredibly interested in. So, I don’t know if I’m being more personal or vulnerable, I may just be trying to use that voice more. Many times it’s more about the song than it is the truth-telling, if that makes sense. That’s a funny answer, but it’s cool if you get that.

SM: I would think getting too personal would make things difficult to play night after night.

JH: The psychological format of these songs was actually supposed to be that they would be more fun to play. Because I have been guilty of writing things that were way too dark to ever perform. Actually, a lot of the songs on [2006’s] Springtime Can Kill You I never played live because they were filled with far too much teenage, brokenhearted bulls—. On the new record, it’s still personal, but there’s more storytelling. On the last record, I wrote “Corrido por Buddy” about a friend of ours that was a gay Mormon and killed himself. He was an amazing character, and I wanted to give a tribute to him, but it’s so sad and painful to play that song. So I think, in a lot of ways, this new record is a bit more comfortable than that. I’m not bleeding all over the place on it.

SM: You’ve worked with Marc [Ribot] a lot now. How’d you guys hook up?

JH: He just worked with a lot of people I’ve worked with. And I’ve actually been good friends with his manager for a really long time — long before she was his manager. But that’s not how we hooked up on this record. Shahzad has worked with him for a long time and played him the demo. And he liked it.

SM: Marc is just one of a lot of amazing musicians you’ve been able to work with.

JH: I’ve been so lucky, but it used to be so hard for me. I’m a self-taught musician, and I used to think that I wasn’t sophisticated enough to be playing with all of these great people. But I’ve really come to accept the fact that I’m a songwriter. And in order to shine as a great instrumentalist, you have to work with songwriters that you vibe with. And I feel really comfortable now in that role as circus leader and am much more at ease playing with all of these great musicians.

SM: Are you a person who is constantly writing?

JH: I used to try and write songs when I was a teenager. But I was 14 the last time I tried to write a song. Now, the songs come to me and get me to write them, and it’s been that way for many, many years. I’ve actually been pushing them away lately. I got my heart broken a year ago, and I refused to write any songs about it. And that’s kicking and screaming. It’s what everyone writes songs about. But I completely resisted. But now, finally, that’s changing.

SM: Changing?

JH: I mean, I literally cried every day for a year. It was horrible heartbreak. Only now am I writing again. It was very recently that two songs came to me in the middle of the night, woke me up and made me work on them. It was like being shaken out of a deep sleep and harassed. And I couldn’t get back to sleep until I got them down. It’s funny, but that’s how it happens. I write all of these things in my head.

SM: That’s the only place you keep the ideas?

JH: Well, in this case, I was really lazy and didn’t want to get out of bed. So I text-messaged myself all of these thoughts in the middle of the night. But I’m pretty good about being able to write out a notation well enough to understand what I meant and play it later. But I didn’t do that this time. I wrote out the words to the song, and then I texted phrases to myself of different melodies from songs that were similar. So, regardless to say, I end up having quite a few funny little notes in my drafts.

SM: Don’t want to get ahead of myself, but now you’re making me look forward to the next record — a friend to be sad with.

JH: Oh, these are not sad songs. I refuse to write heartbreak songs about it all. No way. I just refuse that entirely.

First published by NBC San Diego on October 3, 2011

Then, after one fateful night in Germany, it all came to a screeching halt. Rice fired Hannigan just minutes before a gig in Munich, and the couple have hardly spoken since, if at all. But that was 2007.

Although working here and there, Rice has released nothing of his own in the past four years, and recently broke a multiyear silence only to declare that he’d trade it all to “still have Lisa in my life.”

Hannigan hasn’t spoken much about the split, but she seems to have used the time far more productively.

She released her solo debut, “Sea Sew,” in 2008. The album was well-received by both critics and fans, and landed her a Mercury Prize nomination. It also led to a supporting slot on a 42-date U.S. tour with Jason Mraz. But perhaps most important, it taught her that she was a pretty decent songwriter and got her some much-needed exclusivity under the spotlight.

She just released the Joe Henry-produced follow up, “Passenger,” last week and started a three-continent tour on Tuesday to support it.

“We’ve been playing in Ireland this summer,” Hannigan said recently from her home in Dublin. “When the record was done and was being finished here, we went out on tour just to play the songs live and see where they go. It’s such a different experience than the studio. And I was anxious just to get the new songs out there. But it all just means we’re ready. I can’t wait. We’re ready and excited.”

Hannigan has a lot to be excited about. But it also seems like a lot of things are going well for the 30-year-old songstress. And the way she hooked up with Grammy-winning artist/producer Joe Henry is one of them.

“It was very serendipitous,” she said. “I was doing a tribute concert for (folk singer) Kate McGarrigle in London, and he happened to be doing a gig next door. He popped his head in, wanted to pay his respects, and I was the person he happened to catch onstage. He sent an email to my manager and we met.”

The pair exchanged demos and ideas for months before meeting to record the album in Wales earlier this year.

“Lucky me,” said Hannigan. “Straightaway, I fully trusted him. We never, at any point, discussed the record while we were sending things back and forth. There was such a great trust there that it never even really occurred to me to talk about it. He’s such a wonderful man and musician and listener. Everyone just played their socks off trying to impress him, really.”

Good fortune also intervened for Hannigan when talk show host Stephen Colbert came across her name while doing research online and immediately booked her for a rare performance on “The Colbert Report.”

“He was looking up Sean Hannity,” she said. “I’m pretty sure that’s exactly how it happened. Luckily, my name is only a few letters different. And we were on tour in the states at the time. They wanted us to play in New York and we were going to be there in a week. It was amazing.”

That was the same feeling Hannigan had when singer Ray LaMontagne agreed to appear on the new album. She didn’t feel she knew him well enough to ask outright, so she did it through a friend. And their duet, “O Sleep,” is part of the travel-inspired, 10-song collection that the charming singer and her five-piece band are out promoting across the U.S., Australia and U.K.

“You can think of themes almost in retrospect,” Hannigan said. “But because I was away for so much of the writing, there was that sense that you get when you’re away from home, that strange nostalgia. If it ever comes into focus, it’s that true idea of home and all of its preoccupations from faraway places. It can really become the portrait of your mind. Looking back, I think it ties together that way. And the traveling really got under the skin of the record.”

Hannigan will be traveling again for the next few months. It’s impossible to know what inspirations will come from it, but it is likely to cement the idea that front and center is the perfect spot for her to stand.

“I feel absolutely comfortable doing what I’m doing now,” Hannigan said. “But it has been weird. I had never stood in the middle before. It’s such a different feeling. And there was a period of mourning. That band was such a part of my life for so long.

“But now it’s been years, and I have such a wonderful band and crew, everyone around me are friends. And that makes it so much easier. I don’t regret anything that’s happened along the way. It’s all just led to me doing what I’m doing now. And I love it.”

First published by The North County Times on September 29, 2011