Joanna Newsom

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Biography

Nevada City CA, United States (2002 – present)

Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) started taking piano lessons at a very early age and played for a couple of years, but switched to the harp at seven. Her approach to the harp, from the percussive aspects of her playing to her chord changes, was also influenced by West African and Venezuelan harp music, which she began studying at a folk music camp she attended in her early teens. At the same time, she also listened to more vocal-based , , and like Karen Dalton, Texas Gladden, Patti Smith, and Billie Holiday. By the time she reached high-school age, Newsom decided she wanted to become a composer, and while that became the focus of her studies, in her free time she began writing and recording instrumental songs. Eventually, Newsom’s passion for songwriting won out, and she began studying creative writing to work with words in the same way she was accustomed to working with music.

Although Joanna Newsom’s Appalachian-meets- take on music is her most celebrated work, her range is even more inclusive than her solo career suggests: the classically trained harpist adds a decidedly different, textural sound to Nervous Cop, the noise rock trio that also features Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier and Hella’s Zach Hill, and she also plays keyboards for The Pleased, another San Francisco-area band more akin to Blondie or Television than her other projects.
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  • Nimbie

    and you're starry starry starry

    16 Jun 2:24pm Reply

  • Chadipoo

    she is perfection....perfection. she is perfection...so take your best shot give it all you got BRING IT ON!

    15 Jun 11:03pm Reply

  • lewiskendell

    It's a little alarming how much I love this woman.

    9 Jun 3:06pm Reply

  • IlanDatabase

    if I'll never get to see her live I would probably kill myself. why, why did I start listening to her only two months after she performed in Israel. WHY:(

    8 Jun 3:24pm Reply

  • IlanDatabase

    this woman is perfection.

    8 Jun 2:53pm Reply

  • mattymuchacho

    I love her first album.

    5 Jun 12:42am Reply

  • onelittleatlas

    Saw her at Latitude Festival a few years ago and was smitten! I think most of the audience was....back on the playlist after song long..amazing unique talent.

    28 May 11:19pm Reply

  • dude25191

    If ya wanna hear her cut up and in reverse > https://soundcloud.com/the-fax-machine-2/when-sky-wouldnt-listen-joanna

    25 May 7:11am Reply

  • MyMusicMyDivas

    Her music is an amazing therapy to forget all the pain and sorrow.

    19 May 8:25am Reply

  • Metaknite

    wow look at those guns, she could probably beat me up

    18 May 3:03pm Reply

  • Deardeadfriend

    On a good day you can feel my love for you...

    10 May 11:21pm Reply

  • giftedcursed

    I must admit, I still find myself not knowing parts of the lyrics of only skin, so we'll just work on that in the meantime

    8 May 11:08pm Reply

  • beautifuldaddy

    dat voice

    4 May 8:04pm Reply

  • Solemnmind

    I've been exploring almost all of her "similar artists" but it seems I'll never find anyone quite like her... can't wait to hear what else she's got!

    3 May 7:01pm Reply

  • clockworkwombat

    vashti's her #1 simliar artist? didn't expect that one

    1 May 12:20pm Reply

  • LiteraryBum

    Yes freakfolk is one of those tags people use to make themselves seem more subversive. Call it what it is lyrically dense folk harp. Yarg.

    27 Apr 9:18pm Reply

  • erikisPSYCHO

    Something that excites me when I think about Joanna Newsom (constantly) is knowing that when I'm like, 60 or something, I'll have at least 8 or 9 of her albums and all of them will be flawless. We can't rush perfection so I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. We should think more about what moods, themes, elements and LYRICS she'll unleash unto the World in her next record, not how she's going to "one-up" her previous one. Milk-Eyed Mender, Ys and Have One On Me are all beautiful in their own ways, and the next album will be too. <3

    27 Apr 1:42am Reply

  • viniciusazevedo

    @giftedcursed - sure, and actually I really don't think that I'm used to everything she released so far, always finding some new detail in the songs I've known for so long.

    25 Apr 11:22pm Reply

  • giftedcursed

    @viniciusazevedo - Yeah, I think she sould take all the time she needs

    25 Apr 6:22pm Reply

  • swarmsea

    Yep, I was so sad to hear that. Here's 7 Minutes in Heaven with her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqp1-gajX0Q

    24 Apr 8:31am Reply
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