Singer Andra Suchy moved to the Twin Cities from North Dakota in 1996 and since her arrival, Suchy's powerful, crystal-clear voice has been heard on albums by Soul Asylum, the Honeydogs, Billy Johnson's Roadshow and many more.
She makes weekly appearances with The Dollys at Stasiu's on Tuesdays and with Hookers and Blow on Thursday nights at Gluek's; she also lends her vocals to commercial work.
In the midst of the madness, Suchy found time to record her debut solo album, "Patchwork Story," due to be released August 18, 2006.
Suchy talked with Rift and offered a few insights into the upcoming album, the Thompson Twins and impersonating an 8-year-old boy.
Rift: What kind of sound can we expect from "Patchwork Story?"
Andra Suchy: This is always a hard question. I would say "Patchwork Story" revolves around the realm of organic, rootsy Americana rock with variances among different songs.
Rift: Which, if any, bands or artists directly inspired the album or your appreciation for music?
AS: There are a lot of inspirations for the way we wanted the album to sound, as well as songwriting influences, but I think that happens naturally. We talked about some specific albums we loved the sound of, or why we loved them, and kept that in mind throughout the process, but I wouldn't say we were exactly emulating anyone in particular.
Rift: You've played with just about every established musician in the Twin Cities area. Will any of them be making an appearance on "Patchwork Story?"
AS: I am totally knocked out by the musicians on my album, as well as everyone I play with live. It is humbling and a great honor. But that didn't really answer the question. Yes.
Rift: How long have you been working on your album and where did you record it?
AS: I think we did the first song demo about four years ago. We recorded the drums, piano and organ at "Splice Hear" and "It's A Secret" with David J. Russ as engineer. He's been an amazing catalyst. Andrew Pierzina did pretty much the rest at our home studio,
ASAProcks.
Rift: How do you market or promote an album?
AS: I am hoping to work with New Artist Direct and Tinderbox for radio and distribution. They've come highly recommended and work very hard for their artists. Of course live shows help, but having outside professional help is almost necessary when it comes to cracking unfamiliar audiences and getting your music in the stores and on the radio.
Rift: What are some of your favorite Twin Cities venues to play at and why?
AS: Hmm ... this is hard. First Avenue is an amazing place to play. I love the vibe at Mayslack's. The Fine Line has wonderful sound. Stasiu's is a new cool music bar. Gluek's has been a great place to play. Bunker's has good sound as well. I am forgetting a lot, but these come to mind right away.
Rift: Tell us about your experiences doing commercial jingles.
AS: I love doing jingles. It has taught me to leave my self-consciousness at the door and realize I'm there for the job and not to worry about looking ridiculous. You can't dwell on whether you'll get the job or you'll go crazy wondering what you did wrong. Sessions can take 15 minutes or all day, they're all different and yes, there are some strange ones. We don't need to get too far into that. There's an educational Web site for young girls called mypopstudio.com I recently did that was pretty fun. Oh, and once I did the voice of an 8-year-old boy for a Rugrats movie promo. That was a weird one.
Rift: You've recently created The Dollys. Who else is in the band and what has that experience been like?
AS: Actually, Kari Shaw is the creator of The Dollys. It is sooo choice. I get to sing with Kari Shaw and Joanna Jahn. Trent Norton plays bass, Joe Savage plays pedal steel, dobro, lap slide and banjo, Peter J. Sands plays keys and Andrew Pierzina plays guitar. We do a lot of fun country music covers from Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
Rift: What are your three desert island albums?
AS: Oh Lord, that's impossible.
Rift: What was the first album you ever bought?
AS: Well, my folks had quite a few albums I loved – Linda Ronstadt, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot – but I think with my own money I bought either the Thompson Twins or Heart's "Bad Animals." I don't think I'd actually heard much of either; I must've liked the artwork or something.
Rift: Your CD release party is scheduled for August 18, 2006, at Mayslack's. Can you tell us if any special guests are scheduled to perform?
AS: I am so excited! I can say that The Dollys, Billy Johnson and my band will all play sets. Beyond that, who knows?
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