Songwriting School with Kendall Jane Meade

Kendall Jane Meade by Jimmy Pham

Songwriting School
Ten singers and songwriters who have inspired me always, and on my new album, Space. By Kendall Jane Meade

1. Joni Mitchell 
An old boyfriend gave me a copy of Blue after we had broken up, and I was instantly hooked. I remember also getting The Softies album It’s Love around the same time. Both albums influenced me like crazy, and still do.

  1. 2. Vashti Bunyan
    Gordon Zacharias turned me on to Vashti’s album Diamond Day. It was produced by Joe Boyd, who also produced Nick Drake. I loved how incredibly gently she sang. People are always telling me to sing louder in live shows, which I kind of love not doing as an act of rebellion. Vashti would approve. So would Mark Linkous. They both taught me there is strength in softness, too. You just need to find your audience who want to listen to whatever you’re doing.


3. Margo Guryan
My kind of pop queen. A delicate vocalist with a voice like no other. “Take a Picture” and “Think of Rain” are so beautiful, and “What Can I Give You” has a rollicking, party-like quality that I have always wanted to capture in one of my recordings but never get there. Maybe my next album. 

4. Christine McVie
Truly an icon. Her solo album, Christine Perfect (Perfect is her maiden name), is amazing. There is a song, “When You Say,” that is always on my eternal playlist. There is a string interlude in the song that’s completely unexpected but works. It’s quirky. I also relate to her as being totally cool with being part of a greater group in Fleetwood Mac. She didn’t need to be in the spotlight, yet she was quietly writing all the hits. I’m also going to cram in here that I love Stevie Nicks’ solo album Bella Donna.

Kendall Jane Meade by Jimmy Pham

5. Sandy Denny
I cover one of her songs, Solo, on my new album, Space. That song is one of those tunes that I have loved for decades. I feel that it tells my story as of late, so I finally recorded it. Sandy’s voice is stunning and airy and also ethereal. Her work in Fairport and her solo work are otherworldly.

  1. 6. Kirsty MacColl
    Gail (Chickfactor editor and longtime pal) turned me on to Kirsty. Her strength and confidence is what I admire. There is such life to her voice, and her songs are so brilliant. I would say that “Days” is one of my favorites. A little-known fact is that she sequenced U2’s The Joshua Tree because her husband at the time was U2’s producer, Steve Lillywhite.
Margaret White and Kendall Jane Meade at SXSW – Photo: Shelby Meade

7. Joan Baez
What an absolute icon. Totally brave, outspoken, and a truly sensitive soul with the balls to take an antiwar stance from such a young age. “Diamonds and Rust” and “Sweet Sir Galahad” are two of the songs she wrote during the heyday of her career, and they are both stunning. I highly recommend the recent documentary about her called I Am A Noise.

  1. 8. Patsy Cline
    While she didn’t write many of her songs, her voice and delivery broke my heart and soothed me at the same time. I remember being a college student at Boston University, finding her music at a used record store and hyper fixating on “She’s Got You” and, of course, “Crazy,” which was written by Willie Nelson.
Kendall at SXSW this year. Photo: Margaret White

9. Juliana Hatfield
I was a huge Blake Babies fan and later a fan of her solo work. She can do it all and is still one of the strongest performers out there. I remember seeing her solo shows back when I was in college at TT The Bears in Cambridge. After one show I saw her in the ladies’ room and she was dripping in sweat, that’s how passionately she performs.

  1. 10. Kim Deal
    She was the coolest part of the Pixies, and the Breeders albums were a massive influence on me. So catchy, cool, and effortless. I’m so happy she has a new album out. Just thinking of her makes me want to crank up “Divine Hammer” in my car and drive fast. You can hear this influence in the choruses of my new song “Stereo” off of Space.

Listen to Kendall’s new record SPACE here!

Kendall and pals at SXSW. Photo: Shelby Meade
The gang at SXSW. Photo: Anet Prinz

 

fairytale of new york

the editor was out at one of the umpteen gazillion pubs in london called the red lion just the other night trying to wrestle the (karaoke) mike away from some of her happy coworkers. between karaoke numbers—oh boy was it a rough night between the shania twain and the grease soundtrack—the xmas classic fairytale of new york came on. some weird photographer guy screamed at me: ‘this is like the best christmas song EVER!!!!!!’ and I said, I think you may be right!

this is relevant because A. shane macgowan lives up the street from me! but I never see him. I guess I will have to hang out at the cheesy bar he lives atop. B. kirsty maccoll died 5 years ago this week. her killer was never charged. her mother is leading a campaign to try to get some justice for the family: http://www.justiceforkirsty.org/

I adored kirsty and everyone should go buy her records anyway. I plan to have a kirsty tribute this year on 10 october 06, venue tbc. C. it’s hard to believe we ever get any news at all here in london that is both music related and not about pete babyshambles, but in fact this week the bbc reported that ‘fairytale’ is actually not just my fave but everyone’s. okay, so that is ace.

but what the hell about the people’s other 9 favourite holiday tracks? yeeikes! wizzard? mariah!? mud? have these people never heard ‘marshmallow world’ or ‘baby please come home’ by darlene love? please kids, weigh in with your faves if you have any. of course I adore the pines, vince guaraldi, and there’s one I rediscovered by saint etienne just this week called ‘snow’ that breaks my heart.

Top 10 Christmas Songs
1. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues/ Kirsty MacColl
2. All I Want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey
3. Last Christmas – Wham!
4. Mistletoe and Wine – Sir Cliff Richard
5. Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade
6. I Wish it could be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
7. Christmas Time – The Darkness
8. Saviour’s Day – Sir Cliff Richard
9. Do They Know it’s Christmas (1984) – Band Aid
10. Lonely This Christmas – Mud

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4533030.stm