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September 9, 2007
Our featured artist for September is singer-songwriter and composer, Celeste.
Based in the United States, her latest release broke in Europe this summer, with both her single and album climbing the charts. This week, her single, "Another Rock In My Shoe" tops the charts on Radio Maria in Austria.
A 2006 Grammy Nominee and award-winning composer, Celeste Friedman has enjoyed a whirlwind year. Scoring the music for the Pulitzer prize Nominated play, "The Glory of Living", Friedman has been busy writing for television and film, where her work has been featured in several film festivals this summer, including the Rebel Planet Festival in L.A. and the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
Amidst her time in the studio preparing for the release of a television series to be launched this fall, Celeste has released a collection of traditional and contemporary styled country and country rock tunes, titled "Every Tear I Know". We caught up with Celeste to talk about her new single, the album and life as a film composer.
IB: Celeste, how are you this fine summer's day?
Celeste: Today we are enjoying cooler temps in Ohio, the sun is glorious and I'm doing great. How are you?
IB: Fine, thanks. I bet you're feeling good about the single, "Another Rock In My Shoe". Did you expect it to gain popularity so quickly?
Celeste: It's an amazing experience to release your music without knowing what the future will hold. I think the rapid rise in the song's interest could be due to how many people can relate to the story.
IB: Can you tell us how the track came about and is it a reflection of past experience?
Celeste: "Another Rock In My Shoe" is all about how there always seems to be something that happens, especially things that go wrong or never live up to one's expectations. In everyone's life, it's always something, whether it's the car breaking down or someone breaking up with you, disappointments and money woes. Even though I wrote it many years ago, it's extremely relevant in our times right now.
IB: The "Every Tear I Know" album which came out this summer is on your Songs For Charlie Music label. Where does that name come from?
Celeste: Charlie was the love of my life and still is. He lived to be almost twenty years old and traveled on the road with me. We found him in a pet store in Grand Forks, North Dakota and I instantly fell in love with him.
IB: So, Charlie was a dog? What kind?
Celeste: He was half Norwegian Elk Hound and half Siberian Husky. His photo is on my SongsForCharlieMusic website. I pay tribute to him and his many years of life on the road with me through my music publishing and the name of the label.
IB: How does it feel to see your music break in Europe first before hitting the states?
Celeste: It's wonderful! I'm so fortunate to have found many amazing programmers and radio hosts across Europe who have opened the doors for so many indie artists.
IB: How does it feel to be Number One this week in Austria?
Celeste: I am so thrilled and overwhelmed. It's an honor to be in the company of some incredible country music artists. Peter Anderl, who is the host of "Gospel and Country" has been so kind to share all of my music with his listeners. And I am also so grateful to Massimo Ferro of Radio Voce Spazio in Italy and George Backer of Radio Beverwijk in The Netherlands.
IB: What has been your favorite track on the album, based on arrangement and/ or story?
Celeste: Each song has it's own direction in terms of arrangement, whether it's a simple rhythm section or fully orchestrated. "Another Rock In My Shoe" gets to me every time, even though I've played it and listened to it hundreds of times, you just can't stop moving to its groove. It was a lot of fun to intro "Wild Horses" and "This Is That Love" with strings and I also love the simplicity of "Don't Give Me Your Heart".
IB: Which is your favorite to play live?
Celeste: "Another Rock", because especially in a club, it's great to see the audience jump up immediately and dance, but "Nothin' That I Wouldn't Do For You" is fun to see the audience's reactions to the lyrics.
IB: You were selected to be a part of the "All States All Stars" compilation for the US troops. What moved you to be a part of 50 songwriters from the 50 states?
Celeste: I learned of Music For the Troops in just one week before their deadline for submissions and didn't think anything would happen since it's was so late. My father was a Korean veteran in the Army and I thought it would be very special to be a part of this project in his honor.
IB: Did you just submit "Wild Horses" or did they select it from the album?
Celeste: Actually, I sent in three songs, including "Wild Horses" and they liked the lyric line, "distance is unknown to the heart". It's a nice feeling to know that maybe a soldier will hear the song and think of his or her loved one back home.
IB: Is there a duality to your music and personality?
Celeste: No, I would say that what you see and hear is what you get. I'm another one of those songwriters who wears their heart on their sleeve. I think the only time when I've felt there was a dual role going on would be when I've written a love song and I wasn't in love.
IB: How easy or complicated is it to be such an eclectic writer?
Celeste: Oh boy, well, it's easy because I love so many styles of music, but it does get complicated if I'm asked to narrow down what genre I belong in.
IB: What will you usually say?
Celeste: If you must put a label on what I do, the best is "singer-songwriter and composer".
IB: Let's talk more about a couple of ballads on this album. "Too Late to Cry" is such a sad vision of abandonment. Is it about someone you know or have met?
Celeste: Well, when I originally pictured the whole story in my mind, I imagined a woman sitting at window, watching for someone to come and visit her, someone possibly who love her in the past. She is living in a place like a retirement home, where so many people are left forgotten.
IB: "This Is That Love" is such a classic ballad with beautiful harmonies. How did this tune come about?
Celeste: Oh, thanks for asking, 'cause there's a great story behind that song. I had been invited by a dear friend to join her at church one Sunday and I was on my way there. It was a gorgeous summer morning and I had about 60 miles to travel. While I was driving, I was thinking about she and her husband, what a wonderful life they have and how lucky they were to have each other. Suddenly, the lyric for the chorus came to me and later that day after I returned home, I finished the entire song.
IB: So many songs focus on relationships, family and friends. Is there one song on the album that stems from your experience with a past or current love?
Celeste: Truthfully, almost every song, but "The Moon and the Stars" is about one of the most challenging times in my life. It's very hard to talk about, so I have to let my song tell the story.
IB: Most of the ballads are sad or sentimental. Is this a concept album?
Celeste: Once I had decided on what songs to put together in this collection, it seemed as if the album was guiding me and urging that it be about sadness, heartache and tears.
IB: So, I guess that "Every Tear I Know" was the perfect title track?
Celeste: Yes, absolutely.
IB: The arrangement and style of the track, "Every Tear I Know" has such a classic, traditional approach. How did this all come together?
Celeste: The very first lyric line with melody came into my head while I was driving. It's funny how many songs begin that way. Interestingly enough, it was as if a spirit from the past was speaking through me. I've always wanted to write a song that sounded as if it had come from the 1950's or '60's.
IB: If you had lived back in that era, do think Patsy Cline might have recorded it?
Celeste: Wouldn't that have been something? Yes, how cool that would have been.
IB: Your songs are very visual and colorful. "Listen to the Rain" congers up a vision of someone again sitting at the window, like in "Too Late to Cry". Did you plan for these two to be similar?
Celeste: No, each song was written in different decades actually. "Listen to the Rain" began as a song about reading for children and made a complete turn-around. The song itself wanted to become something else. I finished recording the first draft of the song just before my father passed away and performed it at the very last concert my father attended, so, it now has a completely different significance, almost a celebration of sadness and that it's okay to be sad sometimes.
IB: Who and what is "Rocking Chair" about?
Celeste: "Rocking Chair" is part me and part anyone else who can relate to reflecting on one's childhood. The song actually rose out of personal fear of losing things that are precious to me.
IB: Switching over to the lighter side of the album, "Three Little Words" and "Break Up" must be directly pointing to someone or ex-love's. Can you share the back stories of these tunes?
Celeste: Well, I'll never divulge who, what and where, but yes, you're right on target. Each song is about a different person. There are countless women who are frustrated about a man who just cannot utter the words, "I love you" and I felt that story needed to be written. "Break Up" is a twisted mix of angst and relief. An A&R rep at MCA Publishing once said that "Break Up" is the happiest break up song he's ever heard.
IB: Who is the focus in "Don't Give Me Your Heart"?
Celeste: "Don't Give Me Your Heart" isn't about any particular man, it's more about the "me" in the song. This writing was probably the most self-revealing.
IB: Finally, in "Nothin' That I Wouldn't Do For You", are you singing about someone in your life now?
Celeste: Oh, I knew you would ask me that! "Nothin' That I Wouldn't Do" is another one of those love songs that I wrote purely about love when I wasn't in love.
IB: How do you do that?
Celeste: Well, I think it's easy when you've been in love before. You just focus on how you felt when someone swept you off your feet.
IB: Many groups are deciding to just release singles from now on, how do you feel about that and is that something you would do in the future?
Celeste: Yes, it's interesting how history repeats itself. When I was growing up, many artists put out only singles and some didn't even release complete albums. I think it's great that a lot of new artists are considering this and given the infinite amount of opportunities that technology provides, it's quick and easy to release single cuts and mp3's.
IB: It's been such an amazing year for you with the album release, along with film and animation projects, not to mention the showcases in film festivals. Are there any particular moments that have been the most exciting so far in 2007?
Celeste: I think I'd have to say that one of those special moments was to be seated in a theatre, hearing my music out of the humongous JBL's and synced with the film on the big screen at a Chicago premiere, not to mention when I got the word this past week that the single went to Number One! I was already celebrating when the CD hit Number 4 on Radio Voce Spazio in Italy.
IB: What advice do you have for young women aspiring a career in music and songwriting?
Celeste: If you're passionate about what you do and what you write, keep driving and don't ever give up. It's such an overused cliche, but you do have to believe in yourself. Only you are responsible for what lies ahead. Your decisions to go for it or give up are your final decisions. So many people can stand in your way or try to make you believe that you'll never get anywhere with your talent. If you know you really have something to share with the world, listen to your heart.
IB: Not many people realize how much work you do for children and your awards in music and education. Do you still plan to write and perform for younger audiences?
Celeste: Definitely. I love to write and perform for kids. I can't describe a greater feeling than when I leave the stage after a children's performance. Most of the gigs on my calendar are still for younger audiences and schools.
IB: Do you have plans of a tour with the album?
Celeste: The calendar has been so full, there hasn't been time to plan, but it would be great to tour in 2008.
IB: What ambitions do you want to achieve?
Celeste: I believe that all of my ambitions are rolled into one- happiness. Although some of my music is sad or written in a minor key, I hope that my music offers an escape into a world of emotional release and joy. In general, music is so powerful, it can even save lives. It has certainly saved mine.
You can purchase Celeste's CD, "Every Tear I Know" on iTunes and CDbaby.com or visit her MySpace pages and download there at: www. MySpace.com/celestefriedman and MySpace.com/songsforcharliemusic.
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