We chatted with indie soul songstress Aubrey Haddard and we can't get enough of her latest album. She recently released "Blue Part,"conquering a unique genre of its own while beautifully expressing a love story in the most honest of ways. Catch her on tour this month in France and follow her on social media for upcoming music and shows!
1) Hey Aubrey Haddard! Thanks for interviewing with Indie Witches. How did your band come to be?
Thanks so much for the interview! My band came together in a slow but organic way. I had been fronting different original projects for years, spanning lots of genres and a couple of years ago decided there was nothing wrong with picking up my guitar and writing songs just for me. At one of my initial solo shows in Allston, Josh (drums) approached me and offhandedly offered to accompany me at any point in the future. After recording a short acoustic EP with Matt Peiffer (engineer/producer) I decided it was time to evolve those songs a bit further and incorporate drums and percussion into the sound. Touring as a duo had it’s challenges and after dating Charley long enough to know he was an ideal creative collaborator I asked him to play a few shows with us on bass. After that we stayed a trio and with the help of our engineer, released our first album under my name.
2) Could you briefly describe your music-making process?
It changes all the time. Lately I've been trying to become a bit more disciplined with it. I'll plan out writing days in my schedule and do my best to make them happen. I'm still exploring my voice on guitar but I think I get a little closer to finding it every time I write something new. I am very lyric based, telling stories and finding cheeky rhymes but still occasionally find the chords or melody first. Often I get a hold of a good hook and build something up around it. Other times I force my fingers to do something they've never done and tweak it until it feels a little more comfortable or finds itself a melody.
3) How has your music evolved since you first started?
As I mentioned previously, I was in several different projects. Original rock, funk, neo-soul were all a part of my repertoire and once I decided to just do me things became a bit clearer. Adding instrumentalists into that stripped-down version of my sound definitely changed things. I went from more of an acoustic r&b sound to something that now pulls from the corners of Alternative, Soul, Indie Rock and more. I would say I've pretty definitively begun to hone in on what I consider is my real voice, in artistry and execution.
4) What was your inspiration behind Blue Part?
Blue Part is a love story. It's one sided and definitely not all romance and roses. The songs were almost exclusively inspired by my whirlwind relationship and I did my best to tell the honest story of it between desperation, desire, confusion, devotion. Falling in love, however wonderful, comes with the extra baggage.
5) Have you faced any challenges being a woman in the music industry?
Being your own manager, booking agent, PR, brand, etc. is extremely challenging no matter who you are. As women in the industry we have all been victim to the condescending explanations and countless objectifying eyes. I feel very fortunate to have foraged my way through all of that bull shit and found a place for myself and career.
6) What advice would you give to your younger self?
My mother always says "no missed opportunities." of course, as a younger me, I was inclined to write her off when it was inconvenient to hear but I've grown to hold that advice in such high regard. Networking and building community is so important in this industry. I think being able to evaluate how things will benefit you and your network is really important to making key decisions.
7) What is your favorite venue you have played?
The last stop on our album release tour was a female-focused music festival called Ladybug in Wilmington, DE. We were slotted to play the outdoor stage but it poured all day so we were moved to the larger, indoor stage at The Queen. Its a gorgeous theater, beautiful stage, we played to just a handful of very enthusiastic people and I walked off the stage feeling inspired. Of course, its not everyday I get to play in beautiful theaters and I definitely have my New England favorites like Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA, Artsriot and Lamp Shop in Burlington, VT and even The Falcon in Marlboro, NY. All of those rooms harbor real creative, intimate experiences and have a lot of character.
8) Favorite book you’ve read and why?
I finished reading Respect by David Ritz the week Aretha passed. Its a beautiful portrait of a woman who's life and talent is unparalleled. She was obviously the greatest there ever was, and the book is beautifully written. I'm grateful that at the time of her passing I had just learned so much about her journey.
9) Who are you currently listening to?
Recently I've been listening to LUMP, the latest Laura Marling collaboration with Mike Lindsay. Margaret Glaspy is always on rotation, Jeff Buckley and as I'm prepping for my trip to France a bit more Edith Piaf and Francoise Hardy.
10) Any upcoming shows? Where is the best place for fans to follow you?
We only have a few shows to announce at the moment, some small home town things before the trio takes off for France! We are part of a brand new festival promoting women in the arts called Bust Out Boston, playing on Sunday Sept 23. Also getting ready to announce our French tour dates between Oct 12-23 - so stay tuned! New Englad tour dates TBA for November as well. I would say Instagram is best @aub.had or Facebook of course www.aubreyhaddard.com
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