Barbara Kessler

Toenail Clippers,
Electric Guitars
& Record Deals

Interview by Neil Fagan.
From The Performing Songwriter
Volume 3, Issue 14, September/October 1995.
© Copyright 1995, The Performing Songwriter. Reprinted with permission.

Barbara Kessler's star is rising. Her independent release, Stranger To This Land, has been picked up by Eastern Front Records for national distribution. She was a winner at the Kerrville New Folk contest this year. She's been nominated in the Boston Music Awards for "Best New Folk/Acoustic Act", placed second in the songwriter's competition at the Great Woods Performing Arts Center Folk Festival, won the New Faces In Folk contest at the New England Festival of Folk Music and has been featured on two Philo compilation CD's: Big Times In A Small Town and Follow That Road. Folk goddess Christine Lavin named her "best new artist of the year" in 1993. And she's been invited to the National Academy of Songwriter's Fall showcase in Los Angeles. Whew! Let's all catch our breath. This is one busy lady. We spoke by phone recently about what's in store for this Cambridge-based artist.

So what's up? Is there a new album in the works?

I'm working on demos right now and I'll be going into the studio soon. We're in pre-production right now. [The album then in progress was Notion, since released.] I'm working on my guitar chops with an electric guitar I borrowed.

Are you sick of interviews?

Well, I've done a lot of them. It's funny, I love to read interviews but I can't imagine what I have to say would be interesting to anybody.

Well, it's always the same ten questions.

Yeah, "which came first, the lyric or the music?"

Okay, let's talk about other people. Let's gossip.

(She laughs and we proceed to talk about other people and gossip.)

Tell us about the Barbara nobody knows. Have you clipped your toenails this week?

I did in fact.

Now we're getting somewhere.

And it reminded me of camping up in Canada. We were going up to play the North Bend Retreat Festival and I ended up meeting this guy in a post office who overheard that we needed a cabin. He was from Brooklyn and he said (imitates New York accent), "Hey, I'm working on some cabins up at the lake. You can stay with me if ya want." And he borrowed my clippers from my guitar case. So when I was cutting my nails I was like, "Oh, Archie from Brooklyn cut his toenails with my clippers." You're not gonna print this, right? I'm sure you'll edit this.

Well....

So yeah, I'm trying to tach myself to play the electric guitar.

Are you going to become a riot girl?

No, my stuff is very... I mean I'm a sucker for a riff and a pop hook. I'm just writing some stuff that's a little more edgy.

You live in Cambridge and play in venues that are mostly folk havens. Are you worried about going out with this new, edgier direction?

Well, there's not a lot of mosh pit action going on, they're known for being a little more subdued. But I'm not worried about alienating anyone just because I pick up an electric guitar. I think most of the people who like what I do know that I didn't get my masters in folk. I'm not worried about it, I mean it's not like I have stacks of Marshall amps.

Okay, for those who don't know you or have a handle on what you do, let's hit some of those basic ten questions. Influences; go.

Right. Well I'm really into the women singer/songwriter thing. I like Jane Siberry, Liz Phair, Shawn Colvin, PJ Harvey. When I was growing up I was really into the honest, from the heart artists like Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell; I was a big, big, Karla Bonoff fan. But people should just go out and get my album because they should. (Laughs.)

Have you been approached by some major labels?

Yeah, there's a lot of interesting things happening. Lawyers are talking to each other.

Are you concerned about the loss of creative control that often accompanies big label deals? I mean they might want you to gyrate on MTV.

I want to gyrate on MTV.

Oh. Well, you go, girl.

That's not a negative thing in my mind. But yes, I think it's a scary thing. A lot of people don't know enough going into a deal. I've been talking about the business so much lately, I'm beginning to realize it just doesn't matter. I'm going to have an audience. I'm going to have a career regardless of who signs me. I mean they can make it bigger and that would be nice but I don't want to jump through too many hoops. I really respect people like Michelle Shocked who are doing it on their own. There's just lots of ways to have a career.

The song on the [Performing Songwriter Editor's Choice] disc, "I Can See It, Davey," is that a real person?

Yeah, it is. That song was written as a kind of a prayer. A song of encouragement.

Okay, tell me one song you wish you'd written.

You know I've felt that way before and the first one that comes to mind is that Joni Mitchell song about the midway. And Dar Williams's "When I Was A Boy". I may be covering that one with my electric guitar. I'm dying to make it rock.

Cool. I guess that's just about it.

Did I say anything?

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