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Katie Herzig — Coming back home |
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Written by Matt Brady
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Friday, 28 March 2008 |
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Effervescently sweet and soothingly somber, Katie Herzig’s voice floats over well-constructed pop melodies that both belie and complement mature lyrics that contemplate life and forlorn love.
To promote the upcoming release of her third solo album, “Apple Tree,” Herzig is returning to the home-state that launched her musical career when she was a member of Newcomers Home, a well-loved Colorado band based out of Boulder that broke up in 2004.
Her band days far behind her, Herzig has continued to blossom on her own. Since her last album, “Weightless,” was released in 2006, Herzig’s music has begun to reach more people. The Duhks cover of her song “Heaven’s My Home” received a Grammy nomination, and other songs were featured last year on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Herzig is poised to offer yet more when her new album debuts on May 13. NEXTnc talked with Herzig recently and she shared what her musical journey has been like so far.
 NEXTnc: You have a distinct sound that combines pop melodies with soulful undertones, what have been your influences in creating your unique blend of music?
Herzig: It’s all kind of compiled over the years, starting out with more of the ummm… classic singer-songwriters. Shaun Colvin, Patty Griffin. Then I kind of started getting into bands and more quirky stuff. This past year I got really excited about Andrew Berg’s new album. Regina Spektor. That’s kind of new stuff I’m digging.
NEXTnc: How does it feel to return to Colorado?
Herzig: I miss it, it’s great. I love coming back. I feel that my trips get further and further apart. It’s really fun to tour through a place that’s your home. It makes it easy and really familiar. I get to combine my work with play because I’m around so many friends and family.
NEXTnc: What do you miss most about living here?
Herzig: Family’s probably the main thing. I do miss the recreation of being so close to the mountains and I miss the summer weather out there. Sometimes I miss the snow too.
NEXTnc: Do you get a lot of snow out in Nashville?
Herzig: We had about two days worth of it, but if we even get a half of an inch, stuff shuts down. It is not prepared for it here like it is in Colorado. It’s kind of humorous at times.
NEXTnc: Having recorded three solo albums, does the process get any easier?
Herzig: I would say that it gets easier in the sense of knowing how big of a process it is, so you kind of have to gear up for it. Probably each time you go in thinking it won’t take as long as it actually does. Inevitably each time it’s a fresh reminder. For the kind of album that I’ve been prone to make, it’s a thing of production and a lot of collaboration.
NEXTnc: Have you changed the way that you approach an album musically after recording your prior albums?
Herzig: For me on this third record I decided to have a lot more collaboration with artists and producers, whereas my last project, it was really for the most part a solo endeavor with me doing most of it. So that was kind of the difference for this record, but it’s always just a really involved process where you get to the end of it and wonder what a normal life is like again because you kind of lose touch with the normal world.
NEXTnc: By today’s standards, you’re a very prolific artist. Three albums in four years is a rare feat. Are you already looking ahead to future projects?
Herzig: Funny enough, I was really ready for a break. Recording for me is such a big part of what I do, and I absolutely love it so I’m never looking to push it too far away. When I finished this record, I sat down and looked aside and thought I can do other things now, and ironically I was immediately asked to record a song for a movie, so I’m right back into it. You’re always thinking artistically what you’re going to be doing in the next phase of your art.
NEXTnc: What’s it like being in the process of recording a song for a movie?
Herzig: Being asked to write something for a specific purpose is really a whole different challenge. It’s been really fun, because for this project I’ve been writing more stuff having to do with electronic loops and stuff and it’s putting me in a whole different realm. I’m sure it will affect what I do artistically.
NEXTnc: Having a song nominated for a Grammy and others featured on TV shows must be a surreal experience.
Herzig: Absolutely, especially these days for an independent artist to have those opportunities come up is really exciting.
NEXTnc: Just for fun, what’s one thing you want to do in your lifetime?
Herzig: Each year that comes there’s new things that I really want to do, so I’m kind of open to letting those things come in their own times. But I absolutely have dreams of making a good career out of doing this, as well as being a platform, for lack of a better phrase, for making the world a better place.
NEXTnc: What can locals expect on your Colorado tour?
Herzig: One of the things is that this album doesn’t come out until May 13. But just for the Colorado tour, I wanted to make these records available early on to people who are able to come out to the shows. A little pre-release for the Colorado folk.
TO GO
• Katie Herzig
• 7 p.m. Sunday, March 30
• St. Patrick’s Presbyterian Church,
803 10th Ave., Greeley
• Tickets are $8. All ages.
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I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
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