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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  • 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

  • GiaNXGX

    But cats are lovely ;(, shame.

    22 Apr 10:52pm Reply

  • swarmsea

    She's allergic to cats!

    22 Apr 7:20pm Reply

  • mic180

    Not sure how she's ever going to top the masterpiece that is 'Have One On Me.'

    21 Apr 2:23am Reply

  • viniciusazevedo

    She can take the time she needs for the new album as long as the longer it will take more songs she will release. I'm talking about the 4 year delay between "Ys" and "Have One On Me" resulting on the triple disc epic beautifulness of the later.

    21 Apr 12:27am Reply

  • viniciusazevedo

    does anyone else hate the tag "freak folk" for her music?

    21 Apr 12:22am Reply

  • giftedcursed

    haha

    19 Apr 7:35pm Reply

  • puismourir

    so true.

    14 Apr 3:53pm Reply

  • Zombienation333

    @starsburn - We could say the same about english-speakers.

    12 Apr 8:45am Reply
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