To some, music is an occupation – a creative enterprise that takes over life itself, all-encompassing in devotion and drive.
Margaret Glaspy is one such professional: she started out as a touring musician for various bands, before self-producing her debut album and embarking on a virtually non-stop international tour.
Currently playing nightly shows in her native US before heading down to Australia for the first time in March, it’s no wonder the Californian singer-songwriter likens touring to an Olympic sport. “It’s very athletic, it’s hard on the body, you have to keep long hours, and every day you’re eating weird food because you’re in different places all the time,” she says. “It can be uncomfortable if you’re not ready for it.”
Glaspy adds that the compulsion to communicate with family and friends while on the road also presents a challenge. “You crave to reach out at times,” she says.
However, Glaspy says the process of touring with other acts before starting out as a solo artist helped prepare her for what she was about to get into. “I feel fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to travel to other places before I’ve done this, to understand what it’s like to be around different cultures and traditions. Logistically, it’s easier for me to tour because I’ve done it before. It feels natural now.”
‘Natural’ is the key word here, and it applies to Glaspy’s songs as well, which have an introspective first-person feel to them. Perpetually honest and unironic, Glaspy paints a picture of her everyday life through her lyrics.
“Every time when I’m out and being one with life, I get ideas for songs – and that’s the natural part,” she says. “And then there’s the part where you have to work at it and sit down and make things make sense. Those are the two different sides to the coin. I often log ideas I get for songs when I’m out and about, and then when I get back home and have time, I get out my guitar and work through them and try and pick up different ideas. I try and flesh an idea out with different chord changes and guitar parts, and then I hack away at the songs for a while until I feel like they’re in the right spot.”
The resulting tracks are raw yet introspective creations, interspersed with barbed guitars and soulful vocals. Lyrically, they subvert traditional love songs for something fresh and new. On ‘Somebody To Anybody’, for instance, Glaspy croons that relationships just aren’t for her, and laments not a love lost but time wasted during her relationship with a previous partner, known as ‘Anthony’.
Likewise, Glaspy’s production work – as heard on Emotions And Math – is so accomplished that itwill likely see her make a name for herself outside of her own material.
“It was a first for me,” she explains. “I’d never produced a record before, and when I was making the decision to do it, it was a little frightening because it’s my first record, and to also have it be my first production credit was a little intimidating. But then I realised that I knew exactly what I wanted and it was really fun, and now I’m excited to produce more records as well. It was a blast.”
As to whether she would also consider producing the work of other artists, Glaspy replies with enthusiasm. “I’d love to produce lots of different records. I wouldn’t say who I would want to produce, because I feel like they’re already producing great records for sure! But I have aspirations to be a producer and certainly work with other people, and on other people’s records.”
Arriving in Australia after only a two-week holiday from her US tour, Glaspy will be bringing her show to Sydney in March. At the mention of Australia, Glaspy quickly affirms her eagerness. “I am so excited to be in Australia – it’s going to be really fun. I don’t want to give away too many secrets, but we’re going to play the record in its entirety, and we’ve been playing a Björk cover, and I may or may not play a Lauryn Hill cover too. And we’ve been touring as a trio, which has been really fun, and we’re just so excited to be there.”
Proving that there really is no rest for the professional musician, Glaspy recounts her plan for the year ahead with determination. “I’m going to be working on writing songs – for some other artists as well – and right now it’s just the process of working on the next record. So any downtime I have I’ll be working on that, then start a whole new tour cycle with The Lumineers and Andrew Bird, and then keep going for the year with touring and take some time off in a couple different spots to write the rest of the record and get that out in 2018.”
[Margaret Glaspy photo by Ebru Yildiz]
Emotions And Math is out now through ATO/[PIAS].Margaret Glaspy takes to theNewtown Social Club Monday March 6, withSlow Dancer in support.
