 Courtesy of the Artist Bicontinental singer-songwriter, fiddler, and guitarist Lucia Comnes fourth release Held In The Arms is a collection of 13 original songs, centered around the theme of ‘things that nurture.’ Currently residing in Italy, but raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Comnes started her professional career as a vocalist with Oakland-based women’s Balkan/Eastern European a cappella group Kitka, while simultaneously delving deep into Irish music studying in the U.S. and Ireland. Along the way she’s also had the pleasure of accompanying Joan Baez on fiddle, collaborating with the T Sisters, Paul Brady, Tim Grimm, Seamus Begley, Liam O'Maonlai, fronting her own Irish band, studying spoken Gaelic and sean-nos, or “old-style” singing, as well as pursuing many other musical and personal endeavors. Comnes’ stateside and global musical exploration has only enriched and brought her closer to American roots music, all of which she honors on her latest release by weaving together folk, blues, country, early rock & roll, indie and bluegrass influences. Here, Comnes answers her Essential 8 and shares the story behind Held In The Arms, names her dream venues and collaborators, and much more! Is there a story behind your album’s title? Yes. I wanted to put out an album of songs that transmit joy on the theme of ‘things that nurture’. One of the phrases that kept popping up in the song lyrics over and over was the image of being held in the arms - of love, of nature, of a mother, of a friend. So that became the album title. The album is meant to be like a big hug to the listener. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? From the people in my life, from sensorial experience (what I see, touch, smell, taste and hear), from kinesthetic memory (what my body feels), from other great writers (like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell) and from deep within. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Keep writing and don’t do the math. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Keep writing and don’t do the math. Music is an art and a business but you can’t treat it like a normal business especially in the beginning. You can show up and be professional and that will open doors but if you look only at the numbers it won’t make any sense, and it may never make sense. But if you are like me and most artists, the true calling is to create...so as long as you are doing your part as a creator, you will find a way to keep moving forward. It’s easy to get distracted or disappointed when you feel like you are investing so much (time, energy and money) in your music and not seeing financial return, but you have to factor in the other returns that aren’t necessarily reflected in the numbers. For example, what you are learning, the feedback you get from the audience, the people you are meeting and collaborating with, the experiences you are having thanks to your music and the body of work you are creating. Those are what matter most. What are your “must have” albums for the road?
Paul Simon - Graceland, Vieux Farka Touré - Fondo, U2 - The Joshua Tree, Sade - Soldier of Love, Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball, Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials, The Buena Vista Social Club, anything by Ray Charles, the Beatles, Bill Withers. What’s your dream venue and why? I love to perform in outdoor venues and ancient places. I just performed an acoustic concert in a chapel built in 1402 in the region of Puglia, Italy. Dream venues would be the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and the open air Theatre of Herodes Atticus under the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, because the settings are just so inspiring with their rich beauty and history. I would also love to perform at the indoor Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Italy, because it’s such a perfect acoustic space and so warm with all that wood. I just saw Bob Dylan and his band play there and it was amazing. Playing the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee would be great too. Favorite thing to do on a day off? Take a long hike far away from any urban noise and take in the sounds of nature. Favorite spots include anywhere I can feel the sea and the land around me like Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, Muir Beach in Mill Valley and Chimney Rock in Point Reyes National Seashore north of San Francisco. I get a lot done in nature ;) Who would you love to collaborate with? Quincy Jones, Sia, Ed Sheeran, Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois, Ry Cooder, Darrell Scott, Dolly Parton, Laurie Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin, Robert Plant, Florence + The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Hozier, Ben Harper Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? Yes, I have two… Get a song in a major film and win a Grammy. WEBSITE: http://www.luciacomnes.com/ SPOTIFY: https://tinyurl.com/yb9k3hqd FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/luciacomnesmusic/
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