P.S.:
Then you went on to form Blue Mountain.
LAURIE:
Yes, after the Hilltops broke up, Cary (Hudson) and I went on to
form Blue Mountain and John went on to play with Uncle Tupelo.
P.S.: I heard that you went through a period of questioning
whether or not you even wanted to be involved in the music
business anymore.
LAURIE: Yeah, that was after Blue Mountain broke up. I
definitely loved it but I think everybody goes through that
questioning. It can be hard. It can be great as well but there is
difficulty. That questioning was pretty brief though. It only
lasted about six months before I decided to stick with it.
P.S.: Music's been such a big part of your life. You were
raised around it, right?
LAURIE: Yeah, my dad played banjo and bass. My
mother played piano and guitar. There were always instruments
around the house. My mother gave me her guitar when I was about
fifteen so I started on guitar. I took some piano lessons as well
but didn't enjoy it too much. Of course now I wish I'd stuck to
it. My other siblings didn't stick with it but John and I did.
P.S.: Is there something about playing with a twin sibling
that allows you to connect on a different level?
LAURIE: I've had that kind of connection with a couple of
other people too but it's very hard to find. When you do find it,
it's definitely an indication that you need to stick with it. It's
so rare. But we have a real symphonic, musical relationship.
Making a record together was great because there were no
disagreements about anything. We pretty much felt the same on
which songs we liked and which takes we liked. It was a really
easy process. Writing together was easier than you'd think. For
me, writing with John is easier than writing on my own or with
other people where it didn't click at all.
P.S.: Can you tell me about the song, Can't Stand
Yourself and about the reservations you had about putting it
on the record?
LAURIE:
It was kind of during that time period of questioning the music
thing and it was also post-divorce, so it was not an easy time.
The song just seemed a little too much... a little too down and a
little too depressing. But John really encouraged me to put it on
the record. He really loved it. So I did.
P.S.: Is it difficult sometimes, as a writer, to release
things that you know anybody can pick up and delve into?
LAURIE: It definitely is but then, some of my favorite
songs are like that that other people have written. I tend to like
songs where the subject matter is a little more dark and personal.
I like happy songs as well but the other just seems to move me
more than anything else. I just feel like as long as it's coming
from a sincere place and it's not contrived, then people can
relate to it without it being super dramatic. It's hard though.
It's a bit embarrassing, (laughs). I really love that song but
sometimes when I listen to it I go, 'Wow! I'm so glad I'm not in
that place anymore.' But writing has definitely gotten me through
some tough periods and it's a lot cheaper than therapy, (laughs).
P.S.: You and John collaborated with a lot of incredible
artists on the
Arabella
CD.
Was it difficult to adapt with so many different
personalities?
LAURIE: I knew everyone before hand so I felt really
comfortable and they're all such good musicians. It was amazing
because we didn't really have rehearsal time. We gave them demos
and then went into the studio. The songs we cut with a full band
in the studio were just amazingly easy. We probably did two or
three takes tops with the larger band in the studio. They're all
just such great musicians. It was just so easy. I've worked with
other bands where you're just rehearsing and rehearsing and it's
never quite right. But with these musicians, they were all just so
intuitive. It really just came together in a natural way.
* To hear the end result, you can purchase Arabella
here.
