Hi Madam Who? For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound,s
My “sound” has always been quite eclectic, and it was always a problem for those who want to market it. Most of the time you can’t narrow down a genre for my songs, let alone a micro-genre. Some songs have a funk flavor, others EDM. However, they are all rooted in pop/rock songwriting.
and who have been your biggest influences so far?
When I was 12 I saw “The Complete Beatles” documentary on the Public Broadcast System here in the US. At the end of the 2 hours, I was not only in love with the Beatles, but I wanted to BE a Beatle. After that I think my biggest musical influences were the B-52’s, Bjork, the Go-Go’s, and Jane’s Addiction. Aside from those artists it has just been individual songs that will catch my ear and I will want to incorporate some of their elements into my own creations.
Do you remember what the first song was that made you want to start a career in music?
Not specifically, but I do remember telling my ATP teacher in 4th grade when she asked the class full of the brightest kids in the school what they wanted to be be when they grew up and it came to me that I wanted to be a singer. She stopped abruptly, looked at me quizzically, and said, “I’ll come back to you.”
And is there any artist that you would want to share a stage with?
I think it would be super fun to share a stage with Bjork.
You have just released your new album ‘Reclaim Your Power’. Is there a story behind it?
Oh, yes. And I can confidently say there is a story behind every piece of art! The story behind my 7-song EP, Reclaim Your Power starts in November 2018. My long-time partner who fathered my two children and who I thought was the love of my life – he was ≠≠certainly my muse – kicked me out of the house we built together. The property was in his name, and because we were never married, I had very little legal recourse. At the time I hadn’t played my guitar or written a song in a very long time. My earlier unsuccessful quest for rockstardom ended in failure and broke my heart. I never thought I’d do it again.
I moved to a nearby town and started an upholstery business where I reupholstered furniture. I live near a coastal resort town so I was reupholstering a chaise lounge chair in a condo. My 11-year-old daughter was with me because we were meeting her BFF and her mom afterwards to swim in the ocean. We finished up and met our friends. The kids began to swim in the rough waters. The life guard ended his shift soon afterward. The kids still wanted to swim. I said, “Ok, just don’t drown!” Famous last words. Fifteen minutes later I was running into the ocean to save her. Unfortunately I was swept away by the same riptide she was caught in. Luckily good samaritans saved us both which I am forever grateful for.
But it added to my trauma. Through tears a song came to me. I tried to shoo it away but it was persistent. Finally I gave in and wrote it down. It felt good, so I opened up the floodgates. More songs came to me. I learned to use GarageBand on my iPhone to record them. Weeks later a friend’s husband left her and their two kids suddenly and unexpectedly. She sent me a text saying “I never thought I’d feel so weak and powerless.” That sparked “Reclaim Your Power.” I sang it to myself everyday while writing it and in doing so I felt stronger and stronger. I was sure it could help other people too. Then I wrote I Am Enough and You Are Not Alone. Goddess in our Midst was inspired by my daughter and her father inspired Good Without You. Strange & Beautiful was an old favorite, but I changed a line at the end and rerecorded it. I met a man who treats me like a queen so I revived Sincerest Thank You and sang it to him on his birthday.
Can you write what was the best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
I put my all into every show no matter how many people attend. However, one of the most memorable performances was at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC. My old band, Audra & the Antidote was selected to be part of 10 bands to perform in competition for the very first VH1 American Music Awards New Music Award. It was to be the very first day of a prestigious music conference and Dick Clark was going to present. It was to be record company invite only. It was going to be our big break. The day before we were to leave terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Centers. The conference had to be rescheduled. Because the conference had to be rescheduled for a month later, our thing had to be the day BEFORE the conference and Dick Clark couldn’t attend to present. My guitarist decided not to go. I had to do his parts and create track for the rest. Instead of record company scouts, there were firemen. Even with all those obstacles I feel like we played the best we ever played. There was genuine excitement in the eyes of the crowd. When the top three bands were named and we weren’t among them, a plethora of people in the crowd came to me saying “You got robbed!” I remember it as a bittersweet moment, and the beginning of the end of that band.
Who’s your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?
I think a collaboration with Lizzo would be awesome. We have different styles but a similar theme in our songs.
And finally, what are your plans for the future?
I have goals but I’ve learned not to make plans and instead to go with the flow. I dream of my music reaching the masses, inspiring people to acknowledge their individual worth. I take steps toward that goal every day.