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.

No matter how many times I’ve seen them, it always amazes me when I see the work of artists like Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso and Rodin because they have this amazing ability to look at an object, person or even the wind and capture it in a totally different way, yet still manage to keep the essence of the life that’s in it.  Amazing.  I’m not a painter or sculptor, but I guess that’s what I try to do when I’m writing a song.  If you get a chance, let me know your thoughts on how you create.

I am very happy to say that with the current group of great musicians, the americana and roots rock band tradition is alive and well and thriving in America today.  Artists like Lucinda Williams, Allison Krause and Ryan Adams, who continue to have great success both in music sales and touring, are helping to give many other americana artists hope and inspire us to write more songs that tell a great story.  Every time I hear a new song that has a great melody and strong lyrics, it makes me want to sit down and write, so that I can do my own small part in continuing this incredible tradition of the Americana Band.  It’s my hope that if you are a songwriter/musician, you will be inspired as well and add your voice to all of the americana artists who have brought us this amazing, inspiring music.

While I have been writing a lot in preparation for my next Americana Music record and have about ten songs ready, one of my favorite new songs, Vibrant Neon came about through that exact kind of observation.  I had seen a band playing a gig and all the neon lights on the stage really caught my attention and got me thinking that it really gives off a magical glow.  I thought how vibrant and alive those lights are when you’re driving at night and how each town has a glow, that draws you closer to it.  I’ve always loved that feeling of coming to a new town and discovering a bit of its history and try to get a feel for its pulse.   I love how one idea can bring about an entire story that can be played out in a song.

I think I’ve been lucky because I get to write about all kinds of subjects through Americana Music, then get to find out if what I see in something has a similar impact on others.

I had been looking for just the right gig to work our new sets and songs with my band, when a good friend told me he was playing at the Burbank Moose Lodge and to come in and check it out. I was immediately impressed with ‘The Moose’ and knew right away that it was the right spot for my Americana Band to get to work in a club after having focused for a while on the house concert scene.

I’m really excited about this band because I’m able to work with my long time lead guitarist, Mario Gorito, bring back the drummer I performed with to support my first record, Bobby McBride and find a great new talent, Jorge Orellano on bass. What’s been great about working with this Americana Band is having the familiarity of knowing each other’s style and at the same time learning new things from each other.