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At one time it seemed like singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton was destined for a career either in ballet or with a symphony orchestra. At 14, Carlton was accepted at the School of American Ballet in New York City. But at the same time, her training on piano (which she began playing at the rather young age of 2) continued. But eventually Carlton abandoned her ballet studies, and later her musical tastes shifted from Bach, Satie and Mozart to rock and pop. But today she does credit her classical background with helping her shape and craft pop songs with stirring melodies, and a compositional sense that has been evident in such songs as “A Thousand Miles,” “Ordinary Day” and “Private Radio” among others.“I still use the piano to sketch out my songs, but I really always think melody first before anything else,” Carlton said. “Once that is in place, then I can fit the lyrics and the rhythm around it. But I don’t usually worry so much about the formal structure or trying to get everything right in terms of transcriptions. I’m most concerned with the sound and the melody, and if that works, I’m sure that the song will be a good one.”Carlton’s now on tour as one of the opening acts for the Joshua Radin show, which comes to the Exit/In tonight along with Alexa Wilkinson. She’s also currently spotlighting her latest release Heroes & Thieves, which was issued last October. The biggest hit thus far from the disc thus far has been the single “Hands on Me,” but Carlton’s pleased with both the caliber of the material and her position on a new label (The Inc/Universal Motown).“I wasn’t really sure that I even wanted to do another project on a label, given that so many performers these days are putting their own material out on the Internet and taking total charge of their music,” Carlton said. “But the label seemed very open to what I wanted to do and didn’t try to change or dictate anything, so I think it worked out really well. I’m not sure whether I’ll put my next one out myself, but right now I feel that this one still has a lot of potential and we’ll be working really hard on getting more songs from it out to the public.”Still, the song that many people most identify with Vanessa Carlton is “A Thousand Miles.” It’s among this decade’s best pop tunes anchored by a glossy piano backdrop, and the video eventually became one of that year’s most viewed on MTV. The song itself finished No. 6 among all pop entries in terms of radio airplay and it earned Carlton Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Instrumental Accompanying Vocalist. The subsequent CD Be Not Nobody helped Carlton earn a citation as one of 10 artists to watch in 2002 by Rolling Stone and catapulted her to a new status. She opened for the Goo Goo Dolls and Third Eye Blind, then eventually secured her own tour as a headliner and spent much of the next year touring Europe.Though the follow-up disc Harmonium didn’t generate either another big hit or equal acclaim, Carlton did enjoy more success by joining Counting Crows on “Big Yellow Taxi.” She’s had two other Top 40 singles in the past two years, “Nolita Fairytale” and “Hands On Me.” Both spotlight her striking, rangy voice, and also a more straightforward arranging style, rather than the edgier, darker material that was featured on Harmonium.The disc also presents a more versatile side, as she delves into bits of soft rock and even ambient/New Age, something that’s directly related to something that she hopes to do professionally in the near future.“I’d like to do some film scoring,” Carlton said. “Being able to get together with a director, get their ideas and then develop music to aurally illustrate what they’re doing on the screen is something that’s very exciting and fulfilling. I really don’t have a preference in terms of what types of films I’d like to score. Dramas, mysteries, romance, action, they all have things that I think I could create music that would successfully express the director’s vision. That’s an area I also think where I could use everything in my background in a different way from the kind of songwriting that I’ve done in the past.”What: Singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton in concert along with Joshua Radin and Alexa WilkinsonWhen: 7 p.m. TuesdayWhere: The Exit/In, 2208 Elliston PlaceCost: $15Info: 321-3340
I’m not sure whether I’ll put my next one out myself, but right now I feel that this one still has a lot of potential and we’ll be working really hard on getting more songs from it out to the public.”
