Sister Saskatchewan; EXCERPTS FROM PENGUIN EGGS INTERVIEW
Connie was recently
interviewed by Roger Levesque of Penguin
Eggs magazine,
one of Canada's leading sources of folk, roots and world music news and reviews. Here
are some excerpts from the article, "Sister Saskatchewan", that
appeared in their Winter 2003 ( #20) issue:
Connie on her career:
"I can't believe I'm still doing this. I can't believe I'm this old and still this immature!"
Connie on her songs of the common man -- and woman:
"What we consider an average life is way more interesting than Donald Trump. If you start talking to people you can get the most amazing stories. Real drama. I like descriptive language but I've always been drawn to simplicity because it is extraordinary how much alike we are to everyone else."
Connie on her television show:
"Wood River Hall is a mythical place ... we tried to make it look like a little hall someplace for that homey feel.
"It's wonderful. One thing that struck me is just how damn good these musicians are, and the music is great. The audience is really with them..."
Connie on writing about her home of Saskatchewan:
"There were a whole bunch of songs that needed to be written about this place... there were all these stories that hadn't been told from a woman's point of view. The Prairies wasn't just the middle of nowhere."
Connie on her theatrical influence in her performances:
"When you
stand up in front of people it's a gift that they've come to see you. The
other part is the sense of story coming through. That's one reason I chose
folk music... Another thing I got out of independent theatre was the
do-it-yourself ethic, to just put on your own show."
Connie on her preference of not "touring large":
"It's great to have that sound booming behind you but it's so unwieldy and there's something lost in that large format. Now working small works better for me... I like a small unit because I can stop in the moment and respond to my audience."
Connie on the big picture:
"I don't think there are many careers like my own, and I still enjoy it. Sometimes I feel as if they pay me to get there and back from the gig. What's in between is for free."
Penguin Eggs is published four times a year. For more information, including how to subscribe to future issues and obtain previous copies (this interview appeared in issue #20), visit www.penguineggs.ab.ca