There’s a dusty worn down path that leads you into a garden somewhere in the heart of Nashville’s Hillsboro Village where the feet of legendary songwriters have tread — names like Lucinda Williams, Patti Griffin, Gillian Welch, Josh Rouse, Allison Krauss just to name a few. Among these storied footprints has walked the feet of Clare Burson, a fiercely independent songwriter with a voice and songwriting style that carries the tremendous weight left by the shoes of her contemporaries as if they were mere feathers. Her new EP, entitled simply Idaho, is the first of three limited edition EP’s set for release over the next year. The stunning clarity and simplicity of the songwriting and performances should leave no question that Clare Burson’s career trajectory is on the rise.
The trail of her own journey begins as a classical violinist, eventually schooling herself in the ways of irish, bluegrass, and klezmer fiddling. She taught herself to play guitar, and eventually developed a loyal following around Boston and her current home, New York City. Her good fortune and unsubtle gifts for music have generated a series of songs produced by T-Bone Burnett, Neilson Hubbard, Fognode, Lex Price, and David Henry over her brief career. I am told that her live performance is incredibly moving, and you should, when possible, take the opportunity to catch her in a live setting.
Clare Burson’s music, as you can hear in these samples taken from her website, is more than merely achingly hypnotic tales of forlorn love or struggle for hope. It’s the awe-inspiring independence of Clare Burson herself that speaks volumes to me about her fearless journey to be recognized for her gifts on her own terms. To me, that makes the listening so much more enjoyable.
Listen To Clare Burson – Love Me In The Morning
Listen To Clare Burson – Blue Pearl
Clare Burson’s Limited-Edition EP Idaho Can Be Purchased From CD Baby by clicking here and is worth every penny.
Visit Clare on MySpace by clicking here and make a new friend already.
