Rachael Yamagata : Turtle

Photo from Rachael Yamagata's website.

As you know, Rachael Yamagata is my #1 musician/singer-songwriter.  Her last album, Chesapeake, is as brilliant, musically and lyrically, as it is tongue-in-cheek humorous, an exploration of emotional depth, and a homage to singer-songwriters past.  The words below, copied and pasted directly from RY's blog post, describes her current creative process--and I am loving it in its relate-able entirety.

Turtle

By: Rachael Yamagata

Posted on Monday, August 6, 2012

"Blog Time!  Refresh button in my head on all subjects to put into print.  Blank stare back from brain.  How does one keep it all sorted in there?  Quiet mornings on a front porch are little centering treats between life driving from show to show and set list scribbles, napkin lyrics, spreadsheets (boring) and past life searches on the internet.  (Fyi – there are quizzes, but not sure of the accuracy).  It did say I’m supposed to spread a feeling of ‘brotherhood’ in this life and well heck, that feels okay.

I’m in danger of drowning in lists.  In fact, I recently took all the lists I save and whittled them down to three lists.  ListMaker.  That so won’t do for a new album title.   I thank the universe for having music exist to at least give my brain a partner in emotion and instinctual expression – some relief.  The ListMaker has taken over this summer, but only to serve as a coach to shape me back to song.

I find myself wanting to write, but not yet ready.  One has to write everyday.  One has to play and refine and redesign and edit.  Where are the little butterfly phrases to be grabbed out of the air? We come and go and wave to each other from our respective porches – what is inside, what is inside, what is inside?  So I’m in my stage of listening… and watching… and making lists.

And that’s ok.  Tour is right around the corner.  And the songs are there to arrange for an audience now.  So I will delve into my recent past and bring it to the present.  Get these songs out to have a little life of their own and travel around with them for a while.  They come to life when we bring them to you.  And that brings the new words back again…"