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1
General Vanessa Carlton Discussion / Liberman Interviews
« on: June 12, 2014, 02:17:20 am »
New interview here, I found it as Vanessa has favourited it on Twitter:

http://cbsn.ws/1mJd5pz

For the first time ever, Stevie Nicks approved of the track order Vanessa Carlton created for an album.

Carlton recently finished recording her fifth full-length studio release and asked her Fleetwood Mac singer pal (and recent wedding officiant) for her input.

"I sent her the album and I think she really digs it," Carlton told CBS News. "She helps with each record to figure out the order of the songs. For the first time ever, she thought that the order was correct that I gave her, so that was good."

Recorded in both Nashville, Tenn., and England, the upcoming set, called "Liberman," comes on the heels of 2011's "Rabbits on the Run." It was originally expected out this year, but Carlton had to delay its release to 2015. Though she can't say why at the moment, she promises it's a good thing.

One aspect she can talk about is the album itself and why the music has a dream-like quality: "I just really wanted it to feel like...an escape -- kind of lush, trippy and beautiful...You really feel like you're falling into a rabbit hole of sounds. So that's the kind of record I made. It's pretty short. It's 10 songs. It's meant to be listened through your headphones."

"The name of the album is 'Liberman,' which is my grandfather's real name before it was changed," Carlton continued. "I just wanted to go back to the truth. Lee has become my middle name...His name's Alan Lee...He felt like he needed to change it. He was an artist, he was a painter. He was also a designer of shirts and stuff...He had a really successful company and at the beginning of his company, he didn't feel like it would do well with a Jewish name like that....It also means my beloved, honorable person -- all of those things fall in line to what the music is."

Although the album title is a personal, the songs Carlton, 33, wrote for the set aren't necessarily about her life.

"It's more philosophical. It's more about the human condition," Carlton explained. "For instance, one of my favorite songs on the record is the first song -- 'Take It Easy.'...I listen to Bob Marley almost every day, and there's almost a reggae approach to the lyrics. You hear certain phrases and you actually calm down. You actually chill out. I love that in music. It can almost be hypnotic. There's definitely stories in it. There's a song called 'Willow' named after the weeping willow tree. There's a song called 'The River.'...Nature is a strong theme throughout the album."

The "A Thousand Miles" singer teamed up with a few different writers and producers for the album, including her new husband, Deer Tick singer-guitarist John McCauley. They worked together on three of the album's songs -- and Carlton says the process was "awesome."

"It's so wonderful when you have a really good working relationship with your partner," said Carlton, who had previously worked with her one-time boyfriend Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind on music. "It's not always the case...John is so chill. He's such a natural musician. It was such a pleasure working with him...I had kind of vowed to never work with anyone I was with after years and years ago I did a record with an ex-boyfriend. I was like, 'I don't think that's a good idea to ever do that again.' But this is a different situation. He's John McCauley. If you can work with John McCauley, you should work with John McCauley."

Carlton may have a chance to test out her new music very soon. She has an appearance coming up on Saturday in Rockaway, N.Y., as part of the Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project, which will host beach volunteer cleanup initiatives at 15 different sites across the country.

"It's basically a way to get people to help pick up stuff on the beach -- particularly at Rockaway because of the damage from Sandy...It's a wonderful thing," said Carlton, who will play a 45-minute stripped-down acoustic set at the event.

Carlton, who grew up in Pennsylvania, said she always loved going to the beach whenever she could.

"I'm a beach kid -- and my family all the way back to my great grandmother used to go to Rockaway Beach. They're from Queens and the Long Island area...It's an event that means a lot to me. Who doesn't love the beach? And so gross when you're on a beach and there's garbage. Everyone wants a beautiful beach."

2
Other Musicians / Deer Tick
« on: January 05, 2014, 09:51:22 am »
Alright, so I'll admit the only reason I started to listen to their music because I was interested in who Vanessa was duetting with on 'In our Time.' However I have over the last few months become big fans of their music, and have tickets for their upcoming gig in Manchester (hopefully Vanessa will be there too :) )

Reading a few comments on here, and I do kinda agree, that John's voice can be described as a bit nasally, although I have learned to really his style, and also that he is a really talented guitarist and musician.

A couple of songs that I recommend, off of a variety of their albums:

Baltimore Blues No 1 - really good guitar line, and made me buy a cheap one off eBay, just so I could learn it
In Our Time - because Vanessa (duh) and a nice country style story to the song.
Daydreaming - (Strictly off another of John's bands called Middle Brother) but a beautiful song nonetheless.
Thyme - Makes me think of Christmas for some reason...
Twenty Miles - their most popular song on Youtube I believe? But for a good reason.

Any thoughts from you guys?

3
Creative Endeavors / Rabbits on the Run Graphics - UPDATED
« on: August 26, 2012, 07:31:21 am »
I've started - probably a bit late, considering the new album is in creation - to make a graphic blend for each song. Although I'll probably do one a month, I will aim to finish them all. Here is the one for 'Get Good', the quote is inspired by what Vanessa says about Sylvia Plath as a song introduction. Hope you like it, and feedback is appreciated.



4
I saw this yesterday on the TV and immediately thought I recognised the drummer, who was supporting no less than Sir Paul McCartney for the jubilee finale. It turns out it's Abe Laboriel Jr who I believe drummed on Harmonium and was on briefly Pleased 2 Meet U.

How cool is that? I bet playing for Vanessa was the highlight of his career though, rather than a once in a lifetime royal performance ;)

I'm sure if you catch the highlights that will be probably playing all day on various news stations will have a video for anyone who is interested.

5
Creative Endeavors / Some ROTR Covers
« on: January 28, 2012, 07:04:40 am »
So I finally decided to get a YT account and upload a couple of videos that I've been playing about with for a few hours.

Here is IDWTBAB and London:

Comments are appreciated, I hope you enjoy them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvxFd_372ho&context=C30fdf50ADOEgsToPDskKRNnDmEBvX1kvNnNTH02Gt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP1UzSiMM7c

6
Live Shows / 22/11/11 - Rumble for the Jungle -
« on: October 24, 2011, 09:23:00 am »
Just found this off the KT Tunstall fan twitter:

Rumble for the Jungle in aid of the Gurukula Botanical Society, presented by KT Tunstall and featuring performances from Vanessa Carlton and Al Murray, etc.

It's in Powis Square, London on 22 November and the tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9am at this website:

http://www.gigsandtours.com/gat/event.asp?artist=kt+tunstall&e%7Cpromoter=372&resultsperpage=50&orderby=date%2Ctime&filler1=gigsandtours&filler2=purekttunstalloct

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General Vanessa Carlton Discussion / LA Buzzabout Interview
« on: October 20, 2011, 05:48:48 am »
I saw this posted on the NH twitter, but not on here so:

http://www.thebuzzabout.com/BuzzLA/interviews/396-vanessa-carlton

I have yet to watch it, so I'm not entirely sure what the interview is about, but I'm sure V is as articulate and delightful as ever :)

8
General Vanessa Carlton Discussion / Vanessa Carlton - Songwriting
« on: September 04, 2011, 08:28:33 am »
Just found a nice little interview about songwriting:

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/09/vanessa-carlton/

Vanessa Carlton got the songwriting bug at age 8: “I had just seen Amadeus,” she says. “I think I wanted to be the madman writing notes out under the wax-dripping candelabra.” We asked the former ballet dancer about her new album Rabbits On The Run, her evolution as an artist, and what it’s like to read your own reviews.

You recorded Rabbits in Peter Gabriel’s studio. How did it compare to other studios you’ve been in?

Real World was an all encompassing sort of experience, similar to a retreat. It’s an old mill, built in the 1700s, I think. The studios are mostly stone and wood, and the gear that Steve Osborne had in his room was killer. It’s a mystical and intense and lovely place. There are wood burning fireplaces and stone pathways and a lady that cooks you eggs in the morning… I mean I had no idea a place like this could exist. At the end of the day it’s just you and the what you are creating. Silence.

You’ve been making music for years, and you’ve probably read a lot of reviews about yourself. How do they affect you?

A couple weeks before Rabbits came out Kerri my publicist got a review she wanted to share with me… we had just started working together so she didn’t know my rule about NO REVIEWS. I got it on my Blackberry while on line at Whole Foods and I thought my head was gonna explode. It was good but i can’t handle the extreme emotions i feel about ‘em. To be honest I have looked at the reviews on this record and they’ve been the best I’ve ever gotten in my career. Perhaps my rule is bendable under certain circumstances!

Tell us about the inspiration for the song “I Don’t Want To Be a Bride.”

That song is about giving yourself permission to custom carve out what love means to you. I’ve heard a couple women singing songs about wanting to get married, but what about the other side of the spectrum? This song was very difficult to write because I had to admit to myself what I really want. I just turned 31 and i feel like I’m stepping into the most exploratory and solid stage of my life. Usually around this time women get crushed with pressure to lock something down. Again I hope this song gives women permission to breath a little.

How and when did you start writing songs?

I wrote my first instrumental piece when i was 8… I wrote it out into sheet music and everything. I had just seen Amadeus; I think I wanted to be the madman writing notes out under the wax-dripping candelabra. That first song was about a rain storm and a waterfall, but there were no words. I started writing songs with lyrics when i was 16. I was at the School of American Ballet by then.

What was your early stuff like? Was it good?

No. I mean, I think some of the melodies weren’t bad. I think you could tell that I have some sort of ear for a hook but lyrically it was… ugh, I don’t even wanna go there. Just regurgitating what I heard on the radio… not at all close to something that’d be deemed poetry or the truth. Honestly most of the lyrics i wrote before 23/24-ish make me cringe. I’m like d’oh! Why?! It’s just not honest.

Who are some of the artists that inspired you to start writing?

Rilke, Stevie Nicks, English teachers over the years, John Steinbeck and my mother.

What comes easier for you — melody, or lyrics?

Melody. They carve themselves out very quickly in my brain. I take way more time with the lyrics nowadays. I don’t want to waste words or settle for filler. Just cause it sounds like a lyric doesn’t mean it should be. When I hear Tom Petty, Tom Waits or Johnny Cash or Stevie Nicks I know exactly what they mean. There philosophies are so strong, the vibe, what the message is. Clarity. Also, I try not to allow myself to generalize. I believe the heart of a story lies in the details…the searing details… and no cliches. I’ve definately written enough lyrics about walking on water… oh, and that song about the sky? 17 feels like another lifetime!

What’s a lyric you’re particularly proud of on the album?

The lyrics in “Get Good” came in one fell swoop. “Are the echoes coming back to you….is wisdom seeing patterns on a loom….like a blanket around you.” There’s a line in the chorus that goes “Don’t you worry you’ll soon be on the mend. That’s no trick, that flicker of radiance.” Which is a response to Black Rook in Rainy Weather by Sylvia Plath. “Get Good” was inspired by an essay my cousin wrote and is specifically for a friend who was contemplating a divorce.

Any interesting real life stories behind the songs on the album?

I was having some serious health problems when I started writing this record. I had handed myself over to western doctors and it was a mistake. The song “Hear the Bells” is the story of a person navigating their recovery, and making many stops along the way… angry winter walks through the city, meditating in a church cemetery, floating on the sea with lots of wine in you in Costa Rica, finding a Chinese witchdoctor… until you realize the remedy was pretty much there all along. Though I still float on seas and I boil my Chinese herbs every morning.

What advice do you have for aspiring songwriters?

Nourish your curiosity and never write for the radio.

What’s a song of yours that’s really touched people?

“Who’s To Say.” It’s a song about defending your choices and who you are in the face of judgement. Everyone seems to like A thousand miles. It came on the radio the other day and i didn’t recognize myself. My voice has changed so much.

9
General Vanessa Carlton Discussion / NBC's Today Show 8/9/11
« on: August 09, 2011, 05:53:54 am »
Just seen this off Ari's twitter:

Ari on NBC Today Show w/ Vanessa Carlton at 10:30 a.m.!
Twitter for iPhone • 09/08/2011 13:13

I think it is about 10 in NYC times, but have no idea about the channel or it's broadcasting times. I hope someone can watch or record it, maybe you can watch it online?

10
Here is - hopefully - the link to the performance and interview of V at YH. The pictures in the ballroom were posted a couple of days ago and here is the tweet ink to their website - I think.

https://twitter.com/younghollywood/status/99601044266434561

Sorry if it doesn't work or not right, i'm on my phone and couldn't check out the link.

11
Just found this off Twitter, nothing new but nice to read anyway. Apologies if this has already been posted but I'm pretty sure that it hasn't.

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton burst onto the scene in 2002 at the age of 17, releasing three consecutive albums and garnering platinum sales before taking a break in 2008. Now she's back with her fourth album, Rabbits on the Run, which will be released on June 21. The 10-song set took two years to record and reflects a more mature Carlton. We caught up with her before she embarks on a summer tour, which brings her to LA’s Largo on July 8.

What inspired Rabbits on the Run?
VANESSA CARLTON: The album was inspired by two books: Stephen Hawkings’s A Brief History of Time and Richard Adams’s Watership Down. The record was analogged straight to tape to give it a warm sound and was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studio outside of London. It was an old mill that they turned into a studio, like a sanctuary. It was a totally life-changing, wonderful experience. A very restorative and special time in my life.

What about those two books spoke to you?
VA: I was suffering from pretty severe writer’s block. I just did not think I was going to do another album and there was so much chaos in my personal life… and reading A Brief History of Time blew me away. That book spoke to what was going on in my life personally. It was incredibly comforting and led to the writing of the songs. The second half was me being immersed in Watership Down, and it inspired me in the studio. I carried that book around like a Bible.

Your first three albums came out in pretty quick succession, and this comes four years later. How has your music evolved?
VA: In terms of recording I felt like I went back to the grass roots. I wanted to get back to that pure, easy breezy, not over-thought, let-the-music-speak-for-itself vibe. The process is different then any of my first albums. It’s just laid-back. I also feel like my standards have gotten higher and higher and I’m more clear minded about the way in which I want to write.

You’ll come to LA on your summer tour. What do you love about performing here?
VA: I think people really appreciate music and I get to see my friends.

@lacmagazine

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Live Shows / 05/03/11 Climate Leadership Gala - Washington, DC
« on: May 02, 2011, 04:29:54 am »
Just had this pop up on Google :

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/epa-administrator-lisa-jackson-governor-bill-richardson-la-mayor-villaraigosa-and-bo-derek-new-headliners--grammy-nominee-vanessa-carlton-performing-for-climate-leadership-gala-121074634.html

The three-time Grammy-Award nominee singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, will release her fourth album, Rabbits On The Run (Razor & Tie) on June 21st. Carlton, who long ago adopted a green lifestyle and is active in the environmental cause, will entertain the Gala guests. Her green initiatives include joining an expedition to Greenland with over 40 international artists, journalists and scientists to inspire action on climate change, and seeking to make New York City streets more bike-friendly.

"Performing at the Climate Leadership Gala is one way I can contribute to driving action on climate change issues, which is a passion of mine," said Vanessa Carlton.  



changed your date to US form to avoid confusion-eclv

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FAQ / Board Issues / Forum Help
« on: March 23, 2011, 01:00:55 pm »
Just a quick question about the forums...

Is there a 'go to page' button on the forums, because it would be nice to skip pages on big threads like the official pictures and downloads.

Thanks,

Amy

14
Creative Endeavors / H&T Sketches
« on: February 26, 2011, 07:07:17 am »
I decided to sketch out some of the frames and cameos in the Heroes and Thieves booklet. Feel free to have a look:

http://s738.photobucket.com/albums/xx26/A_Griffiths/Sketches/

password is:  cameo

Comments are appreciated, thanks :)

~Amy

15
This just popped up on my Google Alerts:

http://www.jweekly.com/blog/full/60686/vanessa-carlton-saves-the-day/

Did you know Vanessa Carlton is the descendent of Russian Jews? Neither did I until the stunning pianist stepped in and saved the day at the 10th Annual JFCS Emigre Gala last weekend in San Francisco.

The sweet-voiced ingenue came in last minute when scheduled performer Regina Spektor fell in. Carlton played a beautiful set of both hits (see above video) and new tunes she declared unheard by any audiences thus far. To catch her next big act, check out out her Facebook page.


Did anyone know about this, she was obviously last minute reschedule, but what are these new tunes? I desperately wish we knew

Amy

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