![]() ![]() I've written songs for straight weddings before as well, but that was really special because they were my friends and it was very easy to access imagery knowing their history and being around their love and things like that. I'm going to record it and give them a special copy of it when I get to it. Have you written or been asked to write any songs for a same-sex wedding? ES: Yes, I have! Two of my very best friends got married a couple of years ago. GS: "Able to Sing" is a song about a wedding. I need to just shut up a little bit and stretch it out. That's something I have to work against doing naturally. She taught me that you don't have to fill every word with a beat. For instance, in the song "Hope Alone," the chorus and the word "you," (sings) "You looking for your distance." I never would have stretched out the word "you" before. In some ways it expands what you're capable of. In some ways it holds you back, if you're used to writing on your own. I really like it with Annie and I've dabbled in it a lot. Because she's a good friend I really enjoy that process and I admire her gifts. She co-wrote the song "This Kiss" for Faith Hill and she's written or co-written an amazing number of songs for other people. She knows how to connect sections musically, which isn't something that I'm not as good at. So I went back to Annie's house when I was visiting and we wrote it. I started writing these skeletal, musical parts of "Gone" very long ago and she and I sat down and wrote the body of it. She teaches me a lot about writing because no one can write a bridge like Annie. As a songwriter known for writing songs on your own, what do you like about collaboration and collaborating with Annie? ES: Annie is a very old friend, a dear friend. GS: You co-wrote the song "Gone" with Annie Roboff, with whom you also collaborated on "Hope Alone" on the "Become You" disc. ![]() That's my oeuvre, my natural thing to go to. When I want to stretch myself I have to go outside of that. I definitely am drawn to a pretty melody first and then an emotional lyric about love and personal relationships. If all I had to do was write pretty love songs, it wouldn't take that much effort for me. Do those kinds of songs come easier to you or are they harder to write? ES: They're so easy! I swear, I fight myself over them sometimes. GS: You have a reputation for writing beautiful and distinctive love songs and "We Get To Feel It All" is no exception. ![]() I like tattoos and I like the thought that goes into wanting to put a piece of art or a remembrance permanently (on your skin) that is with you wherever you go. You're probably less likely to find me writing about tattoos than Amy. ![]() GS: (Gregg Shapiro) Do they say something special or are they images? ES: One is an image of infinity and the other is an initial. One on my left inner wrist and one on my right inner wrist. Do you have any tattoos to speak of? ES: (Emily Saliers) I do have two small tattoos. Tattoos also appear in the title cut (reference to "ink" and hearing "the needle whisper") and "War Rugs" (both of which were written by Indigo Girl Amy Ray). Gregg Shapiro: The "Beauty Queen Sister" CD artwork, by Joseph Peery, has a tattoo-style to it. Their previous appearance there a few years ago was cut short due to rain, so let's hope Mother Nature cooperates with clear skies and warm temperatures. Not content to rest on their laurels, Saliers and Ray have continued to evolve as songwriters and performers on more recent albums, including the double disc set "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" and 2011's dazzling "Beauty Queen Sister." I spoke with Emily about the newer album and about the Indigo Girls' return to Milwaukee Pridefest on June 8. Songs such as longstanding fan favorites "Closer To Fine," "Galileo," "Power Of Two" and "Get Out The Map, still have their devoted followers singing along (they are encouraged to do so!) and swaying in their seats and on their feet. Individually and collectively, Indigo Girls have given us some of the most unforgettable tunes of the era. Few have been able to achieve not only the out duo's longevity, but also the caliber of songwriting and performance skills, not to mention the harmonic perfection, of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray. There have been many imitators since the Indigo Girls burst onto the scene more than twenty years ago. ![]()
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