from alicepeacock.com

 

Alice Peacock
By David Chiu

Alice Peacock's music seems to be an anomaly in comparison to the disposable pop of our times. In this era of mass music marketing and crass commercialism, it is refreshing to know that there are some artists like Peacock who can make music with emotion and intelligence. On her previous album Real Day and her upcoming major label debut, the key ingredient in her sound is honesty, and when you hear her lyrics and voice, you can believe her words as gospel.

The modesty of her words and homogeneous sound can be traced to her humble background. Originally from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Peacock grew up in a creative environment where the radio and music was part of the family. However, even when Peacock sang and played music growing up, she studied theater at Lawrence University and spent summers working at Wisconsin's American Folklore Theater. Acting contributed partly to the live performance skills she would hone later as a musician.

When she graduated, she moved to Los Angeles where she had done radio and TV commercials. But she felt that music was really her true calling and started pursuing it seriously. She picked up her guitar and started writing songs while relocating to Chicago.

Now this is the part of the story that reads like a fairy tale. Peacock recorded a demo CD that was sent to Amazon.com's Advantage Program for independent acts, where it became one of Amazon's Top 10 Emerging Artists. A program director from a Philadelphia radio station bought the CD and was impressed on what he heard. He contacted Peacock who advised her on how to market the CD professionally.

Her debut record Real Day earned her critical raves, and constant touring with the likes of John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky helped her cause. Peacock started working on her next record and was going to release it herself until it was picked up by Aware/Columbia Records (home of Train and Five For Fighting) for distribution. And the rest they say is history...

Nearly all of the songs on her new self-titled album (which also contains contributions from the aforementioned Gorka, Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, and John Mayer) offer some down one to earth, even uplifting songs (i.e "I'll Be the One). Peacock's breathy, almost reedy vocals support her wistful sounding songs, whose standouts include "Leading With My Heart," the exuberant "Imagination," the tender piano ballad of "Some Things Get Lost," and the upbeat "Into the Light."

In a phone interview, the amiable and engaging Peacock talked about her music and how she got to where she is right now.

1. How would you say making your self titled album different, or similar to the first album Real Day?

It's different in approach in that I worked with a producer on the second one, who is a good friend of mine. We've been wanting to work together for a long time. I wanted another set of ears. I knew the material was strong and I wanted to create a more concise sound. I wanted this record to be congruent that way. The second record we had a little more time and a little more money to spend.

This new record was done independently. I was going to release it myself, when a friend of mine brought it to Gregg Latterman at Aware. Basically Aware/Columbia bought the record.

2. In your own words, how would you describe your sound?

I would say pop music with intelligent lyrics. My lyrics are memorable and there are some radio hooks. I think the lyrics are thoughtful and personal.

3. The self-titled debut album Alice Peacock is full of rootsy yet expressive slice of life numbers.

I think there are a really a bunch of strong songs on there and I don't think there were any bad songs that I would skip over.

4. How would you describe the process of writings songs? Words or music first?

For me I 'll be messing around, playing and noodling around the keyboard or playing the guitar. I'll hear some pattern or some riff and I'll start singing a a melody with a dummy lyric. A lot of the words may be the titles of the songs or themes or something, and the song builds itself around that.

5. What accounts for the fact that your music is very rich and melodic and yet real for the listener?

Being honest and expressive...it's sort of therapeutic in a way. If somebody else can identify with it and connect with it, that's great.

6. Was their a music scene growing up where you were in Minnesota?

I didn't really get into a scene until probably college, and then probably when I moved to Chicago, trying to figure out who I was as an artist.

7. Who were you listening to growing up? Which artists you would say were influential?

I listened to my older sister's records. I definitely listened to James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles. I also liked a lot of the soul singers. Stax, and Motown. For me, it was singing along to my favorite stuff and finding my own voice. Once I started writing my own songs I went back to these writers again--Tom Waits and Ricki Lee Jones. a lot of different styles.

8. I read that you studied theater at Lawrence University. Even though you played and sang before, what did you wanted to become first a musician or actress? Did acting on the stage hone your skills as a musical performer?

I wasn't sure. I loved theater and I always acted. I thought Musical theater, that would be fun. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. Frankly it was kind of an easy major for me. I thought to myself I would go to new York and do musical theater. At some point shortly right after college, I realized music was more my spiritual thing, that's where my sound was. While I loved to act I felt it was more important to sing my own words that someone else's. Acting and singing both inform each other--it's sort of theatrical.

9. So having acted played a part in shaping you as a musical performer?

It made e such more comfortable in a lot of different situations. Although as an actor, you are playing a part. With me, I'm myself.

10. What were some of the commercials you did?

One for Walmart...and one for Lazy Boy. It was not a lot but it was enough so that I didn't have to waitress. I just did whatever jobs I could.

11. Is it difficult for you to play to new audiences unfamiliar with your music?

I've been doing that for God knows, forever. You just go out there and say I'm gonna win them over! You just get a few fans at a time.

12. What do you hope to accomplish or bring across to people when they hear your music say five to ten years from now?

That I'm honest and real and just like them. I hope to make a connection with a person who can be cheered up or identify with something. The music that has made an impact on my life healed me in some ways.

It's got to be great if the music takes off.

I'm not afraid of commercial success. I will take that if it comes my way. Hopefully I could make more of a difference with people hearing about my music. I like to be around other interesting creative people. I hope to be doing this for the rest of my life. Just to continue to grow and being able to make music is a very cool thing.

http://www.alicepeacock.com