After spending some time with Sally discussing the approach for this record, she suggested doing a more acoustic, singer-songwriter type of project so that the songs can be really stripped down and simple, but still have an edge and unpredictability that will keep them driving.  That really fits with some of my current writing influences like Jack White and Lucinda Williams. By focusing on the simplicity of the songs, we will be able to let the songs breathe and still let ‘em rock.  It’s gonna be fun to see what happens.

While it was great learning more about a great Roots Rock Music producer, it also reminded me that
amazing Roots Rock records like these are not being made as often as they once were. With the current
phase of popular music being driven by big musical numbers with lots of dancers and piped in tracks,
Roots Rock seems to be becoming more of a lost art. Given this recent trend in music, I am very inspired
when I see bands like The Black Keys and Kings of Leon who are doing a wonderful job of keeping Roots
Rock Music alive. As a music genre, Roots Rock has always been a foundation for other types of music
and artists. My hope is that this great music will once again thrive and be appreciated for the influence
it is.

In the Americana Band, the focus is not about the parts first. In Americana, the importance is put on how an instrumental part can be created to enhance, support and bring out a beautiful and honest story. Even in large bands like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band where there are many instruments, the goal is still to make sure that the listener is drawn into and swept away by the story. A truly great Americana Band captures the essence of a great Americana song every time they step on the stage.

Even though I have been playing and singing these songs for many years, I was truly re-inspired to keep writing and to have the courage and integrity to stay the course of what this incredible artist began. Though Buddy was successful even in his own day, it has been over the passage of time that his legacy has really become clear through his inspiration for songwriters like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and other great musicians. I was reminded again by this Americana Music tribute that while trends in music may come and go without any long lasting impact, artists like Buddy Holly will always be cherished and never fade away.

I knew that I wanted to raise some awareness and resources for Nature of Wildworks because this group gives kids and people of all ages an incredible up close experience with these beautiful animals.  We held the benefit at Froggy’s in Topanga Canyon and the founder, Molly, brought some of the animals for a cool demo and then my band played.  It was a great celebration and I was so honored to be a part of helping any way I possibly could.  To be able to combine my music with such a worthy cause truly gave me a different perspective about what I do and how art can play a part in helping.

As a southern California girl, the western Americana Band scene drew me in with its earthy, yet free spirited feel.  Los Angeles artists like Ry Cooder, Fleetwood Mac and Credence Clearwater Revival blazed a trail for many of the great western Americana artists like Lone Justice and Los Lobos.  While both east and west explore many of the same themes of the classic American dream, they tend to look at it in different ways.  It’s great to feel like I have been equally influenced both by the more eastern point of view of the working man struggle and the more western concept of freeing yourself from society’s structures.

The new Americana Songs I have been working on for my next record have really been fun to work on with my band to get ready to perform and record because we all have a new level of freedom and openness.  While I feel my best writing comes from somewhere inside and is generally something I do alone, after the songs are done,  I love the interaction that happens as other artists start to create their parts and I figure out the perfect balance to build a great song that the listener will be inspired by.

Instead of simply talking about how the my Johnny Depp Song came about, I thought I would start with sharing a bit of how the song-writing process works for me.  Every songwriter has a different take on how to create, but at the end of the day, it’s the journey the artist goes through that really counts.  Sometimes a song may develop through a lyric idea or an isolated thing that you see or hear, even a single word or title idea can spark the beginning of a song.  Who knows, maybe Paul McCartney heard someone say “Hey, Jude!” and instantly thought of a song title.  Other writers find a particular chord progression or a simple riff that sets them off.  Keith Richards for example, woke up one night with the main guitar part of “Satisfaction” in his head and he was off and running to write this classic Rolling Stones song.

For me, songwriting is all about telling stories that when the listener hears it, the song means something to them.  That’s why it usually starts with trying to tell a story that means something to me.  In the case of the Johnny Depp Song, I had been watching an interview with director Wes Craven, who while discussing his movie A Nightmare on Elm Street, said it wasn’t until after Johnny Depp auditioned that his daughter saw the actor’s head shot and thought he was perfect for the role.  As an artist who has spent a lot of time in Hollywood as a musician and actress (and dealing with LOTS of rejection), I found it very funny that it was the picture that was so important.

I’m very influenced by writers like Warren Zevon and Joan Didion who can look at a subject and always find a unique, funny way of bringing it to light.  So, having spent my time in the trenches of Hollywood, (and hopefully channeling my best Zevon and Didion), the Johnny Depp Song came about as a tongue in cheek point of view on the whole ‘Hollywood thing’. Hopefully this article helps clarify some of the questions I have been receiving about the process I went through when writing my Johnny Depp song.