I love listening to people's stories. The more dramatic the better. Not so I can gain something through a lyric but because it allows me to connect with a person. I'm all about the drama. People smile through their days but deep inside there are parts of them that are struggling, suffering. Mostly in silence. If I can get them to open up, I have helped to free a part of their soul. If their story makes it into one of my songs, like many stories do, the problem usually fades away forever and that person can move on. Music heals.
I write music that comes from a real place. I don't write it so it will become something marketable. Still, there is always a part of every writer that wants the music to find a wider audience so that the message inside can be unlocked by new listeners...not just the writer and not just the person who inspired it.
After a few years in Philadelphia where I met my publisher Scot Sax, I'm now based in NYC. This place is filled with sparks of possibility. I love it here. My songwriting roots run all the way back to Kentucky though. My hometown of Henderson, taught me about love, respect, friendship, responsibility, humility, and sweet tea. I still call it home. It's where people love you no matter who you are or what you've done--right or wrong--because they always remember the pure heart of the little girl who grew up there. It's a sweet place.
As for more music, I've got a backlog of tunes for a new album. It's also been a fun first year in NYC filled with many new experiences. And that means more new songs too.
I'm grateful for those of you who are interested in my music, so please drop me a line sometime to catch up, to tell me one of your stories, or to grab coffee in NYC. I look forward to seeing many of you in 2011!
xo
Paulette