Singles
Your Ghost
Strings
The Holy Single
Like You
Echo
A Cleaner Light

THROWING MUSES
Albums
Untitled
House Tornado
Hunkpapa
The Real Ramona
Red Heaven
The Curse
University
Limbo
In a Doghouse
Throwing Muses

Singles
Chains Changed
The Fat Skier
Dizzy
Counting Backwards
Not Too Soon
Firepile (parts 1 & 2)
Bright Yellow Gun
Shark
Ruthie's Knocking
Live to Tape
Freeloader

FIFTY FOOT WAVE
Albums
Bug
Golden Ocean

REVIEWS
SOLO
Live - Camden Barfly

FIFTY FOOT WAVE
Live - London Garage
Album - Bug

LINKS
GENERAL
Throwing Music
4AD
Beggars Group
Beestung
Matt's Secret Kristin
Hersh Page

THROWING MUSES
Counting Backwards

FIFTY FOOT WAVE
Glory Weed
Launch

MORE STRINGS PLEASE…IT’S KRISTIN HERSH

Kristin Hersh is in town and the whole city should be buzzing expect it’s only the privileged who are excitedly anticipating these two intimate shows at the Barfly. The rest are missing out on the truly wonderful experience of Kristin on stage with her guitar and only a cellist and violinist for company.

I managed to catch up with her, albeit over the phone, the day of her first show to discuss her solo work and her new band 50ft Wave. She had just done a session for 6music and when I told her that I enjoyed it she said “I think people feel bad for me now. People get kinder and kinder. I’ve been around for so long now” Personally, and I’m sure that many would agree, it’s because she consistently produces great music. She is hugely influential, starting in the latter part of the 80’s along side the Pixies, they both inspired many bands including Nirvana. It’s a shame that she is so overlooked and hopefully people will begin to open their eyes and realise her massive talent as a songwriter.

Back to the matter in hand, tonight’s show…

“I’m looking forward to playing. I’m playing with my cellist in the first time in years. I’ve been playing solo acoustic for many years and it’s becoming sad!” Her Cellist is Martin McCarrick who first played with her back in 1994 for the debut solo album Hips and Makers. She is currently making her next solo album with Martin which is due out later this year.

Asking about her imminent tour with 50ft wave, “I love playing with that band!” She enthuses, “Essentially we are a live band, we toured the US for the better part of last year and one UK and European tour. We are LA based and have mainly done shows on the West Coast”

Their sound is loud, ferocious and raw. It’s the complete opposite to her solo work but just an intense and emotional. She does not care for high production values, this music is grassroots rock and she is clearly enjoying herself and she’s happy that people are getting it “The audience were different the second tour we did. They had heard our record (Bug), and were really into the songs and they (the venues) filled up.”

She had doubts in the beginning “I wondered if being in a rock band was an old fashioned thing to do. The top 40 are not letting anyone in anymore. The college radio stations and indies are all bought out. I wondered if they had given up. For two months I thought maybe this is what I grew up with and it does not work anymore. That it works is really touching.”

The UK has been good to her, signed to arguably the best independent label 4AD, she enjoys coming over and feels that her family fit in better here, especially after recently driving across America, she said that people were staring at them like they could have been from outer space “they were foreign to us and we were foreign to them, so when we come over here we feel like we are coming home. This place has been good to us for a long time.” Glasgow even provided the inspiration for one of her best known song, Your Ghost. “I drove everyone crazy with that song!” Are there any other places that inspire her music. “I write most of my songs like they are taking place in New Orleans or Rhode Island. New Orleans is in America technically but it’s like another country…it wakes up your senses, you feel more, your see more there…”

Asking what songs she enjoys playing and if she misses playing Throwing Muses songs, she has “…dumb reasons for liking playing songs…I not real smart about this stuff. I’m not a good listener and don’t know what the songs are about or what effect they have on people. I have to trust other song listeners and don’t remember them unless I am playing them. It can be as simple as I like b minor songs! I enjoy playing
White Suckers, I should not like playing it as it’s really difficult to play. I should stick to one key. I always play songs that I would play in my room and they always seem the most difficult to pull off but I never get bored! I am sure I do (miss playing Throwing Muses songs) but I have been Wave centric for the past year…50 ft wave has been sucking out all the noise out of my lungs at the moment! We are supposed to play at the 4ad anniversary bash in November, I am sure I will remember what it was like.”

So for all of you who may have been unaware of Kristin Hersh and her bands and are not sure where to start in her back catalogue, she advises “I’ve never seen anything work as well as 50 ft Wave, for a first time listener it creates an immediate impression. For those who don’t like loud music I would start with University for the Throwing Muses and Sunny Border Blue (SBB) from my solo work although I’m not sure how easy it is to get into”

On SBB she covers a Cat Stevens, Trouble which she’s made into a beautifully haunting song. “I’m not good at covers...I can record them but they make me think but for me as a musician thinking is the last thing that I should be doing! But I don’t

do them unless I have a really good reason…”

So what does she listen to when she is not making music? “I listen to the records that my friends make and the bands that I tour with if I like them!” What about her children? “My kids are into 50ft wave! I’m not sure if they are just being polite or what! Maybe it’s a pity vote from them!” I doubt it! How cool would it be if your mum was Kristin Hersh? Hugely respected and talented, she does not conform to the needs of the mainstream. A more genuine rock and roll woman would be hard to find.

Interview by Sonia Pagliari