IRT Magazine

I recently sat down down with Dana Varon, an up and coming singer songwriter and all around great person. She recently finished a self produced and released album in her basement called “Back To My Roots” and is working on the follow up even as I write this. She also just returned form a gig at the Sundance film festival opening up for Ozomatli. This is the first part of long interview.

Tell us all about your Sundance gig

My Sundance gig was a blast! I was really freaking nervous and excited to open for Ozomatli but it was so cool. It had this great stage they built at the bottom of the mountain so people would come right off the slopes in their ski clothes and had an Amstel Light (a sponsor of the event appropriately named Apres Ski-Music on the Mountain). It started snowing before my gig which was definitely a refreshing change. It was so cold that by the end of the first song my fingers were numb; I was worried I wasn’t going to make it through all the songs but I did it! I played all five. They requested a more upbeat set to rev everyone up so the songs were faster and more powered but I just thought about the beach, warmed my hands with my breath between songs and wore the silk thermal underwear my voice teacher (also Blondie’s) lent me. So I was warm everywhere else.
By the last song my fingers were flying but I loved every minute of it. Then I went and had an Amstel Light -or two- and stuck around for Ozo of course. I danced and I met St. Bernards. They were amazing and had the barrels around their neck. I had a huge stuffed one I would sit on when I was younger that I adored. We took a picture together.

how is the recording of the new cd coming?

It’s coming. It was supposed to be a follow up to my first self recorded album, Back To My Roots, sort of like a double track but it’s been a while. I still want that vibe to it but I’m into a new idea-I am bringing in collaborators on different songs, like on In Deep -the Piano version-it is my first piano song (of course there is a guitar version too) and it was mixed by Muzz Skillings. I was just playing around one day with piano loops and it wound up becoming that song. I put it up on my myspace page for fans and for kicks… and one wound up covering it and Sony Ericsson wound up picking it for their new myspace page. That’s when I asked Muzz to mix it, it wasn’t even done but because they liked it and wanted it that way I kept it. I also have this electronic-rock type song that my friend Blair McClenny made, an amazing composition, that I am writing/singing vocals for. There are more.

How is it different from Back To My Roots?

Well, I did everything myself on BTMR’s-all of the guitars and vocals and sounds, except for Jelly’s little vocal and his collar, which I used. And I also did all of the effects -being a first time producer, I was a little effect happy:) Then it was final mixed by Dae (Bennett) but the effects were already in there. Though I did wind up adding Swallow It Down Remix as a hidden track (I always loved those) which was done with Cleveland musician Viola. After he heard it on my myspace page, where he found me because of our shared liking of Elliot Smith, he told me dug the song and would do the drums and bass if I wanted. Of course I did and I really dug his music too so through cyberspace we sent it back and forth and there it was. I also used that version for my music video. I hope to meet him.

On my new one, LIVE From my Basement, you know, I am bringing in other people and want to have less effects. We’ll see what happens with that… but it is still being recorded in my basement. Plus it has In Deep on it which has the loops for piano and with Back To My Roots everything was live.

What advice can you give to those who want to DIY?

I think I need advice on that;) No, if I could make my first album by myself with no experience anyone one can give it a shot. If you want to do it you just have to take that step and do it, one step at a time and you learn as you go. That’s what I did and still am doing. I have a long way to go. I just had to do it, once I rescued Jelly I just had it in my head that I was going to record my own album, that and other things. I really wanted to cut an album and being a PJ Harvey/Liz Phair/Cat Power fan -all these people who have done their own recordings inspired me. I think it also helps to have a team. I am working on that now. I was lucky to have a team for my music video and for the Sundance gig I had help -someone videoed it (uh, yeah), someone took photos, and I had someone that helped with getting it together with me. These are all friends and friends of friends and that helps. I also have friends that are photogs that take pics of me and I wind up using them for my CD covers and stuff. So having a network like that of creatives with different talents is great to surround yourself with. One day at a time. I always want to have things done faster but I try to keep that attitude.

Can I be your drummer?

Please! Can I be your singer? )

you’ve started writing with a piano. Do you prefer the piano to the guitar?

I think we have telepathy right now because I keep writing about what you are asking me. I love piano, I am working on a song I started writing a while ago but never finished on it. And I am learning how to play In Deep so I can play it live. I have this Baby Grand that my grandparents bought me when I was 13 and I only took a few lessons on-now I’m pissed I didn’t play it more. So I am trying to play on that more now. I still have to learn to play guitar though! I love guitar too though, it is my sound and where it all started from. But it’s so nice to switch it up and have a different sound on the piano. It’s easy to write beautiful melodies on. I have an old Casio that I want to use on my CD and I was eyeing keyboards as I was buying a hardcase for Sundance….

What was the hardest song for you to write?

I’m still writing it. It’s a song I wrote for Marianne Faithfull after I read her bio a little while ago. I finished all of the lyrics and I hear all the parts in my head but I need a band for that one (something frustrating at times for me when DIY). And Shining in the Sun was hard to write because it was a rough time, I wrote it almost as a lullaby to help- then it felt really good to play it after I wrote it.

The easiest?

I wrote This Time in like ten minutes recently and Childe was pretty fast and easy. I wrote it when I got home from a dinner with old friends one night drunk. Maybe that’s why

Last Modified : February 9th, 2007
Filed under : THE RECORD BIN
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