Erin McKeown at Green Note October 10, 2017
Tough to pin down, the US-based singer-songwriter-artist-activist brings her possibly just a tad political leanings, her enthusiasm, and her guitar, to the London stage tonight at Camden’s Green Note, before heading to Australia and New Zealand in the new year.
Unabashed, unpredictable and cooler than you’ll ever be, she cites Judy Garland and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as influences, has played Glastonbury and “Later with Jools Holland,” wrote a song based on a series of tweets between herself and MSNBC dream girl Rachel Maddow and may be the only musician to have toured with a podcast – the excellent Welcome to Night Vale.
You can catch her webseries Cabin Fever here, (yes, she has time for that as well) and her latest EP “Mirrors Break Back” is available at www.erinmckeown.com and on itunes and Band Camp.
McKeown took time out for our Quick Six Interview
Who decides on your album cover art?
I decide my cover art. My collaborator Meghan Dewar takes my ideas and fleshes them out into art. Figuring out the concept and directing the design is one of my favorite parts of my job.
What is an artist’s relationship to their label? What is yours?
Ideally, an artist and label would be in collaboration to help the artist’s music to reach as many people as possible. I’ve been on all kinds of labels over the years, with varying degrees of success. Right now, I’m on my own label, TVP Records, which I like quite a lot because it keeps things simple. I pay for everything, I put in the work, the results (for better or for worse) are mine.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in the music industry at all?
I’ve only had one other job besides music. When I was in highschool, I worked for a painter and sold art supplies and framed pictures in her shop. I’ve always wanted to do that again.
Morning or night person for work? and for a day off?
I am a morning person for work, but my morning doesn’t begin until 10 😉 Same for a day off. I try to be consistent each day, whether I am working or not.
What would be your perfect weekend?
My perfect weekend would involve playing several tennis matches, dinner at my local, and good play or musical.
What’s next for you?
“Miss You Like Hell”, the musical I wrote with Quiara Alegría Hudes is coming to New York this spring, so I’ll be plunging into rewrites and orchestrations for that.
THE QUICK SIX: POP CULTURE BEAST LETS ARTISTS CHOOSE FROM OUR STANDARD TEN QUESTIONS – WE LET THEM TELL US WHAT THEY’D LIKE YOU TO KNOW.
(SOMETIMES THEY ANSWER MORE THAN SIX, WHO ARE WE TO SAY NO?)
Erin McKeown Tour Dates
Saturday 21 October 2017 Club Passim, Cambridge, MA, US
Tuesday 30 January 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia Opera House, Wellington, New Zealand
Weds 31 January 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia SKYCITY Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand
Saturday 03 February 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia
Monday 05 February 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia Astor Theatre, Perth, WA, Australia
Friday 09 February 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Saturday 10 February 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Sunday 11 February 2018 with Welcome to Night Vale – New Zealand and Australia Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Green Note Info, Calendar and Events Cover image of Erin McKeown by Jo Chattman
More PCB Music:
Mickey Dolenz still monkeying around
The Exquisite Dar Williams, Quick Six, and Emerald
The Civil Wars are no more
A former ABC National, Dallas and Atlanta radio personality, Martina O'Boyle is now making movies and covering culture in London, Dublin, and as far in Europe as the cheapie flights will take her, for Pop Culture Beast.