|
Dana
Fuchs' voice is well married to the driving guitar sounds on the
title track of her debut CD Lonely for a Lifetime. It's
easy to see why the producers of the off-Broadway hit Love,
Janis, picked Fuchs out for the role of Janis Joplin a couple
years back. In fact if you mentally squint while you're listening
to the CD you can easily imagine that Richard Nixon is still the
president, go-go boots are in fashion, and Sly & The Family
Stone is playing on the radio.
Born
and bred in a small town in rural Florida, Fuchs was weened on
Ray Charles, Hank Williams, and classic rock. At 12, she joined
the First Baptist Gospel Choir and at 19 left Florida to sing
the blues in New York City. Once in New York, Dana began sitting
in at blues clubs around Manhattan. It was at one of these jams
that she met Jon Diamond, (guitarist for Joan Osborne). Immediately
recognizing a musical chemistry, they formed the Dana Fuchs Band
and soon were performing on the New York City blues circuit playing
3 sets a night 4 nights a week.
In
2002, her performance in the role of Janis Joplin opened the doors
to label interest and she signed a deal with Boston-based indie-label
Q and W Records. The album draws from influences ranging from
'60s Stax/Volt R&B, Lucinda Williams to The Rolling Stones.
"I wanted to capture a soulful and rocking vibe," says
Fuchs, "but with an earthiness to it." Vocally Dana
was inspired by legendary singers including Etta James, Otis Reddng,
Bobby Bland, Aretha Franklin, and Mavis Staples.
Notable
tracks include "Strung Out," "Moment Away"
and "Bible Baby." Explains Fuchs, "These tracks
are about addiction and religious hypocrisy, and like all of the
tracks on the album deal with subjects that I have a deep personal
experience with. It's crucial to me that I have a passionate connection
to what I'm delivering in order to create a sincere representation
of me, my life and my influences."
Find
out more about Dana at www.danafuchs.com.
Brenda
Kahn is a musician, writer and the Editor of WOMANROCK Magazine.
©
1999-2004. WOMANROCK.com. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
