September 11, 2007
A Word From Katryna
Dear Nields fans,
I am a folksinger. I remember in 1991 when Nerissa and I were hatching a plan to cast off our bourgeois shackles and sell our computers for used acoustic guitars I said, "Nerissa, I am willing to spend my whole life trying to be Pete Seeger and never making it there, but I am not willing to waste even a week trying to be the next Indigo Girls. Well, I guess I spent the next decade trying to be the next Indigo Girls and I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. My twenties were spent in a van, in truck stops, in Motel 6 rooms with sketchy odors, and they were spent dancing in front of an amazing band and singing songs that stretched my understanding of who I was and what I was capable of. It was amazing. I counted it as a good day's work if I either got chills or laughed until I fell down. I am not sure most twenty some things have that kind of relationship with their job. I was lucky. We were lucky. But it IS a harrowing life- the motel 6/ truck stop/ Wendy's baked potatoes part. The other part that was sometimes harrowing was the pursuit. I was always attempting to be just a little cooler than I was. I was always trying to get someone to like me who could hardly remember my name. The nadir was Salt Lake City after Greta came out for the second time. We were told to go to a radio station who thought Dave Mathews was edgy, out there, folky stuff. We were told to charm the program director into playing our album. Somehow what worked for Sissy Spacek's Loretta in Coal Miner's Daughter did not work for us. It was humiliating and pointless. If we could have noticed and appreciated what we already had....
Well, I am all about that now. I am so grateful for this life we lead. I am so grateful for the songs Nerissa writes. I am so honored to be allowed to stand up and say what I think. To sing what I feel. When Nerissa and I hatched the plan for this CD, Sister Holler, I was thinking of an alter ego band. We were going to create a band called Sister Holler, start a buzz about said imaginary band, and eventually tour. As Nerissa and I began creating the songs, we realized that they were perhaps more essentially US than anything we had ever done. This was not a side project. This was not an alter ego. This was us. Nerissa and I were brought up by parents who loved folk music. They owned Weavers records, Odetta, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary. We went to see Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie every year at the local shed. They loved 70s country and western- Emmylou Harris, Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie and Waylon. My father discovered Irish Music in about 1980 and adopted an Irish brogue and a fierce belief in Ireland's need to reclaim its fourth province. We went to a school where the teachers came to folk music through classical music. They understood folk music as an invaluable tool in introducing children to basic musical structures and history at the same time. We learned to square dance. We celebrated May Day with thousand year old songs. On our own we discovered the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and our musical canon was officially formed. With Sister Holler, I feel as if I am home. I feel as if I understand my ambition. Last week I sang these songs at Passim, on the small stage with so much history. I felt so connected. So grounded. I believed these words, these chords. They are universal. That is the power of folk music. I am not embarrassed by my dorky folkiness. It is me. It is my lifeblood. It is where I am supposed to be. I am grounded, safe on the ground where I can't fall. I am lying on the grass after the Dionesian brawl. Perhaps I will don pleather* pants again one day, but for now I am happy to be as authentically ME as I can be. I am here to sing these songs. I am here to speak my mind. I am here to remind our audiences to do the same. I am here to be a folksinger.
Love
Katryna
*Pleather is an outdated fashion now. I believe it refers to a kind of vinyl/leather hybrid. May you never experience it.
A Word From Nerissa
Me too, ditto. What she said. We are so excited about this new CD and all the shows we are doing to promote it! We've got a full schedule — to see it, check out our updated website and myspace site. Our team – Patty and Lori – are doing a crackerjack job getting us gigs and outlets to sell our CD, and we are looking forward to a busy fall and winter. This September, we are going over to WFUV in the NYC area to do an interview, back again to Strawberry Festival for Sept 15, down to Westport for an AMAZING show with Lara Herscovitch and Mike Milazzo. We end the month with a children's show in Sterling MA on Sunday Sept. 30.
But what I really want to tell you about is a benefit we are doing on Sept. 20, here in our own Pioneer Valley. Last spring, our friend Chris Haynes' wife died from complications due to childbirth. We are joining together with some area artists plus the incomparable John Gorka and the adorable Cliff Eberhardt for a benefit for Sammy. Here are the details:
"Sammy's Big Night" Concert Thursday, September 20th @ 7 pm
An intimate night of exceptional music featuring performances by:
John Gorka
Cliff Eberhardt
The Nields
The Young At Heart Chorus
The Drunk Stuntmen
The O-Tones
The Kitchen Table
Leah Kunkel
Andy Jaffe
and Special Guests…
Emceed by John Allen and Johnny Memphis.
The show is open to the public and all are welcome at the beautiful Chapin Auditorium, on the campus of Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA
100% of the proceeds will benefit Samuel Owen Haynes, born May 23rd, 2007, whose mother, Heather Egan Haynes, passed away on May 27th, 2007 from complications relating to childbirth at the age of 38. Sammy's father, Chris Haynes, music professor at Springfield College, a talented musician and an anchor for the Pioneer Valley music scene, is raising him. Each of the celebrated performers at the benefit have donated their services and encourage their fans to come to this special event. Proceeds will go to the Samuel Owen Haynes Fund c/o First Churches, 129 Main St, Northampton MA in support of Sammy's care and education. Tickets are on sale @ the Northampton Box Office: online @ www.nbotickets.com or by calling 413-586-8686 or 1.800.THE.TICK, $15 in advance and $17 at the door.
For more event information, contact Peter Nelson @ petenlson@aol.com / 914-977-3385
For venue information, contact John Laprade @ jlaprade@mtholyoke.edu
Driving directions available @ www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/hr/directions.shtml
Ticket information and online purchase can be found at www.nbotickets.com
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