Joanna Burns Writes About Anything But Love by Sarah Webster, Asbury Park Press
When Joanna Burns was 5 years old, she would sit in the bedroom of her Hazlet home and try to figure out songs on a tiny Casio keyboard.
Like a little kid with a transistor radio, she would break down pop songs and figure out how they were all put together. The more she listened tot songs on the radio, the more she was drawn to songwriting, she said.
The days of that tiny Casio are long gone. Today, the 24-year-old practices on an 88-key Yamaha in her bedroom at night. Her skills have sharpened, and she learns music almost strictly by ear - she can listen to a song once and play it back as if she'd read it, she said.
She has two EPs released inndependently. "Everything Til Now" in 2005 and "Music From & Inspired By," earlier this year. Burns has shared the stage with Ingrid Michaelson, the Click 5, Melissa Ferrick, and Fountains of Wayne, and has finished a two-song EP she hopes to release in the fall.
Q: What inspires you to create music?
A I've become inspired more by how other people's songs make me feel. Maybe it sounds loopy, but I kind of get inspired by the essence of a song, the whole picture.
For example, John Mayer has a song called "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" off of his "Continuum" record. That song is so good, it's almost something tangible.
Q: What do you think of music today?
A: I try to dig a little deeper with my chord choices than most of the radio pop. Not too deep because I still want people to buy it, but I think we've kind of limited ourselves these days. There's more diverse material available than what we hear every day.
Q: How would you describe your own music?
A: Always the hardest question. But, I usually describe it as vocally-driven piano pop. I don't feature any crazy soloing skills when playing the keys. I do like to lay down a sweet vocal riff here and there though.
Q: What are some of the themes you write about?
A: My mom always asked why I don't write about trees and nature. She says, "Why don't you write a song about that? It's so beautiful," But I like to try to seek out new subjects to write about. There's nothing wrong with trees and love, but after a while, I get so sick of it. I like to write about anything but love, although I am guilty of having a few love songs.
Currently, I've been writing some anti-love songs, songs about death and what it feels like just before you die, songs about trying to constantly please people - we all know that never works - and songs about forgetting things as you get older.
These subjects seem so negative, but I think maybe I write about this stuff because my own life is actually really positive. And conversely, the music that accompanies the lyrics is not terribly depressing either.
Q: Who are some of your musical influences?
A: I love that haunting chord progressions and spooky choirs used in Danny Elfman's scores. I could devour Ben Folds' piano skills and frivolity. I love the grandiose production of some of Rufus Wainwright's material. I have been brought to embarrassing tears by Marc Broussard's energy and soul. And Ella Fitzgerald has such a signature voice that I could only dream of being that particular in my delivery.
Q: How do they inspire you?
A: I think every one of those people has a hand in what I try to do. And, probably some more people that I don't even realize.
Q: Where do you feel most creative?
A: When I first started writing, I used to find that sitting in my bedroom on a cool breezy night was a real inspirational place for me.
But as of late, I have found myself writing while simultaneously driving my car - highly illegal, I'm sure. Also, places like an airport, diner, classroom, friend's house, or on a bus. But ideally, I really do still love sitting in my room at 10 or 11p.m. on a fall night with the windows open. I guess that's my magic hour or something cheesy.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next six months?
A: In September, I'm putting together a big show which, as of yet, is untitled. It's sort of an un-compact disc release party. I wanted to do something more theatrical and different from other releases I've seen in clubs and bars.
The record was released in February and had a little blip on the radar with an in-store performance at Barnes & Noble. Because of a series of events, I couldn't really plan a proper party for it.
This event will take place in a blackbox theater at a university. It will consist of half sketch comedy and half music. Kate McKinnon (myspace.com/katemckinnon) of Upright Citizens Brigade Theater is doing her hilarious one-woman show "Disenchanted" She's jumped on board and is incredible. Also, 90.5 The Night radio jumped on board. The second half of the event is a set of my music with a huge band that recreates every element of the record. There are lot of elements involved; it's very exciting and different.
Q: What's Hey Cole! Naked Writers Round about?
A: The event is an acoustic storytellers' evening that features a lineup of mostly Hey Cole! artists. Hey Cole! is a booking, licensing, and management company based out of Pennsylvania. They've been able to put together some great shows and really bring that artists to the next level while staying on a very one-to-one basis with every one of them.
Q: How did you get involved?
A: I've been with Cole Lipman, the president of He Cole!, for two years now. She had asked me to come up with a name for this event, a name that would showcase artists in a natural state without backing bands.
I said, "How about the Naked Writers Round?" She loved it and it stuck. Plus, I think anything with "naked" in the title has an element of risk and intrigue.
Hazlet's Joanna Burns is a New Voice for the New Year by Steve Bove, Asbury Park Press
Hazlet siren Joanna Burns may be young, but her vernal, piano-driven soul continues to enrapture crowds with ageless captivation.
I kind of go back and forth between genres that I'm engrossed in at certain times," Burns says. "A few years ago was the peak of my Aretha Franklin-inspired soul phase; right now I'm kind of listening to more orchestral-based stuff. I'm still amazed when people say to me, "That sounds like such and such.' If someone picks up on an influence that I respect, that's really an honor.
The 25-year-old's tremendous voice is rivaled by her intense presence. Catch up with Burns before or after a show, and you're likely to receive the same glow as that which radiates from her melodic, folky grooves, which she'll showcase Jan. 3 at the Cullen Center in Hazlet, an event she'll be co-hosting with Amanda Duncan for the second year.
I like to refer to it as an "apparently annual' event — we didn't realize this was going to become a yearly thing," Burns said. "We're both from Hazlet, and last year, we were talking about how there's really not that much that actually goes on in Hazlet. It's a real sleeper town; there's nothing around. But there is a community center right in Veteran's Park, in the center park of the town. What's real cool about it is it's community-based, not a bar scene. Anybody who wants to come can come, it's all ages. We did have a cover, but that's only because there were as many baked goods as you could eat for free.
The event will feature opening duo Matt Burns and Justin Gallow, followed by a songwriters' round featuring Joanna Burns, Duncan and Chris Ayer
Last year, we had trivia with ridiculous prizes and things — an idea that I stole from Ingrid Michaelson, who last Christmas had a show at the Bowery Ballroom, and I was lucky enough to be able to sing in her choir. She did trivia at the show, and it made the crowd seem so much smaller even though it was hundreds of people. I felt it was just such a great idea that, yeah I admit it, I stole it.
Don't be fooled by Burns' effervescent nature. Having played Hey Cole's "Naked Writers Round" and Rick Barry's "Night in Progress" events at The Saint and shared a bill at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center with Harry Connick Jr. in December, the fiery songstresss couldn't possibly be more dedicated to her craft.
I think behind the scenes, I take things a little more seriously. Once I get up there, I cut loose a little bit; when I'm writing the stuff, it's a very serious matter to me. Once it's done, I'm like, "OK, well, there it is,' " she said.
Burns and Duncan will perform together again February 22 at Rosie's Cafe, 308 First Avenue in Asbury Park.
Eventually I want to have kind of — and I haven't figured out quite how to go about it — something larger than life about my act. Right now it feels more person to person than anything. The "Naked Writers Round,' for example, it was kind of like a casual environment, having a conversation with the crowd, same thing with Rick Barry's "Night in Progress,' it's the same thing, all raw material. I'm not going to put any pretenses up because I'm just as nervous as anyone would be for this, so let's just lay a foundation of "OK, I'm a little nervous to show you this new stuff; none of us to expect. With that, here we go.'
Joanna Burns Music From and Inspired By - Self Release by John Pfeiffer, The Aquarian
There's a small but eloquent group of singer-songwriters that I've always encouraged and covered. It's not they are my favorites, although many are, but the more important reason is that they are so vital is shaping our Shoreworld heritage and should be supported by music enthusiasts around out area and beyond. Joanna Burns falls into this category of players. Recalling a list of performers and their unique elements, Burns reveals her influences with subtlety. Examples are the magical mystery of Carol Kingm the psychedelic cool of Pink Floydm the "don't tread on me" defiance of Tori Amos and even the echoes of Alice Peacock or Amanda Duncan. Joanna Burns shows her vintaged soul in all of its kaleidoscoped glory.
Burns cites diverse influences from Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey to Rufus Wainwright and Fiona Apple, and has concocted a delicious mixture of style, satisfying all of those influences and many more. Her history goes back to childhood, traveling to Americana-laced locations and singing along with her mother in the station wagon. Burns also states that, as many great beginnings, much of her relationship with music was developed through hours of sitting in her room with her keyboard, figuring out film scores and pop songs.
While Burns is part of the local scebe, sge keeps the devious grasp of atrophy at bay, concentrating on several other areas of her career, including her brand new CD release and working on her Bachelor's Degree in Musical Theatre. She has shared the stage with many impressive performers, from Fountains of Wayne to Ingrid Michaelson and Melissa Ferrick, and while she may bang the ivories, she's also no slouch in the drama division, as she is a trained actress and dancer, and has built a pretty impressive resume to date.
Burns' newest single "Small Things" rings true to my earlier Carol King comparison vocally. Stylistically, it's a lush mix of movement with Floyd's "Breathe" slides and psychedelic dips all coming front and center to soulful choruses. Rhythms bring forth funky and organic images of Portishead and Morcheeba (the Skye Edwards days).
Lyrically intelligent, Burns uses her gift of emotional coloring to tshow the listener what's important and what's just out of sight in our lives with the chorus, "it hurts to be deaf when you've always known sound, and it hurts to be blind when you've seen what surrounds, and the curtain falls quickly and covers our town 'cause we all miss the small things when they're not around." Simple and effective, the chorus yields to violin and ColdPlay piano passages that take you to closing choruses and an introspective ending.
The album, self-produced and due out around Feb. 1 was mixed by the ever capable Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs, Bess Rogers) and also includes a remix of "Philadelphia" from her 2005 release Everything Til Now. Some of the performers that helped out on her latest disc are Pete Abazia, drums, Joe Wallace, bass, Matt Burns, guitar, Amanda Duncan, guitar, John Molloy, trumpets, and Jon Barnesm flugelhorn and trumpet as well.
You can catch Joanna Burns live and in concert at Shippensburg University in the heart of Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania on Feb. 9, and of course you may check our some of her other tunes and shenanigans always over at joannaburns.com