Your Country's Right Here: "Lung of Love" Tour is Amy Ray's Labor of Love
posted in: Country • Features
Even months after Amy Ray released her latest solo project Lung of Love, it is difficult to listen to it and not hear nuances that weren’t apparent earlier.
Like some of the best movies that need repeated viewings before you begin to grasp the full intent of the filmmakers, Lung of Love is filled with such subtle variegation that repeated listening is a joy. Perhaps some of that variation can be credited to Ray, half of the internationally renowned GRAMMY Award-winning folk duo the Indigo Girls, taking inspiration for the array of artists she enjoys.
I love all the different kinds of music, said Ray. I listen [to] Josh Ritter and Patti Smith and a lot of funky stuff. I always go back to that for inspiration. There is so much good stuff, it’s hard to name it all.
The same, of course, can be said for Ray’s music both in her Indigo Girls’ partnership with Emily Saliers and as a solo artist. On this album, Ray stepped out of her comfort zone”she and Saliers write alone for the Indigo Girls”and co-wrote four songs on this album with producer Greg Griffith.
When I write for the Indigo Girls, I write for more harmony based and a little more pop based [sound], she said. The solo work has a different focus and part is a little less compromise.
What goes unsaid is that the Indigo Girls have a rock solid fan base that Ray and Saliers have built with a particular sound. Certainly there is room for growth, but the more overt rock, the bluegrass twang and the power pop that is evident on various Lung of Love songs arguably won’t be found on Indigo Girls songs.
It is different, no doubt, said Ray of her latest solo album as compared not just to Indigo Girls’ albums but her own solo work. I don’t want to repeat myself and I know Greg doesn’t. My solo fans are a small but mighty contingent and they are definitely flexible. That’s what inspires us.
While many artists would be willing to sit back and just enjoy their royalties, Ray’s a true folk artist who hits the road just because she needs to play. Ray was keen to have keyboardist extraordinaire Jenn Stone, perhaps best known for her work with Ke$ha but also proficient on playing folk, pop and other genres, join the touring band. But before they made the deal, Ray was candid about how the band”that includes stellar players Alison Martlew on bass, Kaia Wilson on electric guitar and drummer Allison Miller”lives while on the road.
As a solo artist, I can barely make it work, said Ray. We ride in vans; we share rooms. But she was fine with that. She just wants to play.
Much like Ray herself.
You can find out more about Ray and her upcoming concert dates on her Web site.