20 QUESTIONS DEANNA VARAGONA

 

1.. WHERE WERE YOU BORN, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

Oak Ridge, Tennessee USA, lived there until I graduated from Oak Ridge Highschool when I was 18. Went on to continue growing up in Murfreesboro, TN, Athens, GA, Nashville, TN, and currently Chicago, IL.

2. WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORY?

Playing one string tub base with my family at our Church fall festival. We would play traditional Italian folk songs, then serve spaghetti at a Church dinner.

3. WHAT WAS THE FIRST RECORD YOU OWNED?

I think it was a "josie and the pussycats" 45 off the back of a box of cereal.. my first album was an 8-track of The Beatles blue album.

4. WHEN AND WHERE WAS YOUR FIRST PERFORMANCE?

Probably the above mentioned Church festival, or singing Christmas songs with my family at one of our Christmas Eve openhouses. I played at Classical recitals from age four on.. and started singing my own songs around 1984 or so.. I remember playing a resturant with my sister Rita in a horribly named combo of "now playing"..yipes!

5. WHO IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST MUSICAL INFLUENCE ON YOUR WORK?

Son House, hands down, when I first heard Delta Blues recordings he was one of the folks that most caught my ear. I really admired his passion and he really got me singing full force. That changed my whole outlook on singing and gave me the confidence to start making my poems into songs.

6. WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE CONCERT YOU'VE ATTENDED?

That's a tough one, I've been lucky enough to see many great performers. Mike Scott pops to mind as one of the most moving performances I've seen.

7. WHAT IS THE WORST JOB YOU'VE EVER HAD?

Probably spreading gravel in Middle Tennessee, although the worst is any job where I'm bored.

8. WHAT IS THE BEST JOB YOU'VE EVER HAD?

Playing music, what a blessing to have folks want to hear you play. I'd do it every day if I had the chance.

9. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ARTIST (ALL MEDIA)?

This is really tough, probably Son House again, but I listen to Lambchop and Neutral Milk Hotel more often still.

10. WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE BOOK

Wow, this changes constantly..I'm currently getting lost in "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, on my train commutes to my office job.

11. WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE INSTRUMENT?

This changes through the years.. singing is the easiest for joy, curretly I miss my Martin D-28 guitar, but the cello will always have a warm place in my heart

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG YOU'VE WRITTEN?

Ever changing, usually the latest song, like the newest child.. My current favorite is a duet with my friend Jason Adasiewicz (piano and baritone sax) called Fuzz, it will hopefully be on my next album.

13. WHAT IS THE FAVOURITE SONG SOMEONE ELSE HAS WRITTEN?

The current favorite is "I'm Still Here" by Tom Waits

14. HAVE YOU EVER COLLABORATED IN SONGWRITING?

Yes, but I mostly write alone.. Fuzz is a type of improve collaboration. I've written with my sisters and a few friends.

15. CAN SONGWRITING BE TAUGHT OR IS IT A GOD-GIVEN TALENT

I'm sure it's both, and I hear examples of that all the time. I have a hard time with songwriting assignments, but for some folks it's an office job, so it must live in both realms. I try not to have limits with my ideas about music.

16. WHAT SINGLE THING HAS HELPED YOU MOST IN YOUR CAREER?

Playing with Lambchop, they taught me that being in a band can be a loving giving experience, and forced me to improvise until I've found myself confortable playing with anyone who asks.

17. WHAT SINGLE THING HAS HINDERED YOUR CAREER?

Poverty

18. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE DRINK?

I drink water most often, but I like Scotch Whiskey from the Highlands if I can get it.

19. WHO'S YOUR FAVOURITE POLITICIAN

Right now my least favorite fills my mind. These are tough times indeed to be an American.

20. ( THE ADVERT) IN LESS THAN 100 WORDS DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST DISC.

Mountain songs, a little folk, a little blues, a little country, and lots of laying on your back in a field looking at the clouds.

 

ARTIST FACTS

http://www.deannavaragona.com

The goodbyes have all been taken, Hello
2003

18 QUESTIONS
DAVID CHILDERS

1.. WHERE WERE YOU BORN, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina; and grew up in the small textile
town of Mount Holly, North Carolina, 10 miles from Charlotte. I went off to
Military School and college after that when I was fifteen, then graduate
school and different jobs; wound up back in Mount Holly with my wife Linda,
and our two kids, Robert (my drummer now), and Meghan (my sweetheart and a
great fan of live music). I've moved around the state and lived on the
coast; but I've been back in this place since 1981...
....MORE

18 QUESTIONS
JOHNNY DOWD

IN 1999 YOU SAID
'I'm not much into duplification..like if I say somethin three
times, I believe it the first time, not sure the second time, third time sounds like a lie'
AND YET SOME SONGS BEING PRESENTED HERE ARE ON OTHER ALBUMS -
ARE THEY RADICALLY DIFFERENT AND WHY?

These are the original versions of the songs. They are pretty different.
That's a nice thing about songs. There are a million ways to do them....MORE

INTERVIEWS
PETER ASTOR


The Wisdom of Harry and Ellis Island Sound.....
Peter Astor talks about different identities to Shaun Belcher

FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW HERE

20 QUESTIONS
DIANA DARBY

1. WHERE WERE YOU BORN, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born in Houston, Texas. According to my sister, I never grew up...MORE

20 QUESTIONS
NEIL CLEARY

1. WHERE WERE YOU BORN, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
I was born in New York City, my family lived around DC for a while, and
right around when I turned 4 we moved up to just outside of Burlington,
Vermont where we lived for the rest of my growing-up. Burlington is the
biggest city in Vermont, but that's not really saying much in terms of size.
It's a great place though -- a college town (with all the arts-friendly,
liberal-leaning vibe that implies) by a lake in a rural state...MORE

20 QUESTIONS
OX


1. WHERE WERE YOU BORN, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

born and brought up in sudbury, canada. grew up on the road... although, it's hard to call a guy who wanders around the world on a bus selling cd's with a guitar and a pocketfull of change, 'grown up'....MORE

20 QUESTIONS
DAN ISRAEL

1. WHERE WERE YOU BORN, WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA on March 9, 1971. I mainly grew up in St. Louis Park (a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis that was also home to filmmakers the Coen Brothers, writer/comedian/political satirist Al Franken, Dan Wilson of Semisonic, and many others in the music and film businesses) except for a year spent in Chapel Hill, North Carolina when I was 5, while my dad went to school there for a year....MORE