Antje Duvekot: The Journey to a New Siberia

To contact us Click HERE

Photo Credit: Gregory Worstrel

When your debut album sets the folk world buzzing, andentices music historians such as Dave Marsh, rock critic and former editor ofRolling Stone, to say you are “the whole package," AND hecompares you to renowned artist Patty Griffin, well…you'd better keepdelivering the goods. As her third studio album is being released, it becomesclear singer-songwriter Antje Duvekot is doing just that.
Antje first garnered attention with her music in 2000 bywinning the grand prize in the rock category of the John LennonSongwriting Contest. Since then, she has continued to receive accolades andhigh praise for her introspective songs reflecting her personal journey.
Born in Germany,Duvekot arrived in the United States as a teenager. Leaving her father andbrother in Europe, she began a new life in astrange country with no knowledge of the customs or the language. Adapting wasdifficult at best, so Antje retreated into a world which offered hercomfort…the world of music.
Her first album, Big Dream Boulevard wasfollowed in 2009 by another highly acclaimed CD, The Near Demise of theHigh Wire Dancer, produced by singer-songwriter Richard Shindell. Her newrelease, New Siberia, brings back Shindell as producer, and marksthe time of transition from an old life to new. A time of looking toward thefuture with anticipation, while never losing what has brought her here
The week before the release of New Siberia,Antje spoke with me about the journey, songwriting and the life of a workingmusician.
Kat’s Theory (KT): You came to this countryas a teenager, and battled with issues of language, insecurity and a confiningfamily life. Those struggles can create the perfect setting from which a poetcan immerge. Looking back, do you think an easier life transition would havemade you less of a poet?
Antje Duvekot (AD): That is such a good question; it’s really hardto know. I wonder myself sometimes.  My brain works a certain way and Ican’t imagine it working in any other way so if my early life hadn’t been sortof difficult, maybe my brain wouldn’t be so …thoughtful, I guess. When Imoved to this country from Germany,at first I was sort of an outsider. I didn’t speak the language, so I spent alot of time being very shy and just observing people. It’s possible that itcame from the ability to pay attention and observe people. But then again maybeI would have been the same way if I hadn’t had such a difficult childhood. 
KT:  Your songwriting style. Becauseyour songs are so personal, does your writing normally begin with the lyrics ordo you have a story in mind, and work the music around them or music first?
AD: Kind of separate. The lyrics will come to me throughout my lifeand I’ll just scribble them down onto whatever I can find…napkins, checkbooksand such. So then I have this pile of lyrics and words, and ideas that came tome. When I think of something I write it down. Then when I structure, when I’mmaking it into a song, I actually craft a melody entirely, so that it will beready to go. Then I will turn back to my notes and try to see what fits innicely.
KT: That’s a very interesting approach, where you haveall the music written and you try to find the lyrics that will fit into it.
AD: Yeah, I think that’s unusual, I don’t know a lot of people thatdo it that way. I don’t think of myself as a writer, I really do love the musiccomponent. It’s always tricky to find the right music for the right lyrics,Sometimes you really want to make them fit and you realize the mood is notright.
KT: Your producer for your new album, RichardShindell, also produced your second album The Near Demise of the HighWire Dancer. At that time he said “with songs as good as these, aproducer just tries to get out of the way, do no harm and let the artist speakfor herself.” Would you say he followed the same approach with NewSiberia, or did he infuse more of his vision this time?
AD: Well first of all, I think he was just being modest when hesaid that, because he did a lot more than “do no harm.” But Ithink partly why I did want to work with him was that he has a fairlyminimalistic approach to producing. I really didn’t want someone to put a heavystamp on my music. I wanted it to just speak for itself, and he reallysupported my music very nicely with some of his instrumental choices. But Ithink it’s a similar production from the last album actually.
KT: I’ve watched some videos of your live performances. Your music at times,comes from such a dark place, and yet there are some songs which are light, forexample “A Perfect Date” on this album. But when you are performing live, youare very light, humorous and honest. How do you balance the two, leaving thesadness behind in the music?
AD: I think when I first started performing live, I did realize thatthe night was starting to drag with a lot of moody and dark songs, and that Ineeded to talk in between songs. I needed to get some lightness in there.I found that I enjoyed the banter in between and making fun of myself. In reallife I make fun of myself quite a bit, my songs just don’t reflect it thatmuch. Humor is just another way to cope with darkness if you really think aboutit.

Photo Credit: Gregory Worstrel

"oh amelia, don't i feel like a clown oh you went down in history well, me, i just went down"
KT: "The Ballad of Fred Noonan".Fred Noonan was the navigator who flew alongside and died with Amelia Earhart.It is a fascinating look at the possible unrequited love he had for her. Thesong, told from his point of view, relates his love and admiration for herwhile still seeing her faults. It’s a mixture of melancholy and regret. Wheredid you find the inspiration for it?
AD: I was kind of interested because I saw a documentary first andit said, in this documentary at least, that she was kind of ego driven andbold, and perhaps she didn’t spend as much time preparing the flight, as shejust wanted to set a record. And she was ambitious, and I thought about thatpart of her personality.
 "oh and the last thing that you said wasyou were sorry. I did it for love, you did it for glory"
A little bit later, I was listening to a podcast about FredNoonan and how everyone has forgotten him. He is unknown to history even thoughhe died in the plane with her. And I thought “oh poor Fred Noonan,maybe I should write a song about him.” Then I thought about those twothings, ok, I’m going to present Amelia Earhart as ego-driven and narcissisticand poor Fred Noonan. So I guess I painted him in kind of a victim light. It’sjust an idea I had.
"I was planted in a flower bed ofsorrows, where raven's laughter blew up from the west.Carried whispers of a dream about tomorrow and myheart it just beat borrowed in my chest"
KT: "New Siberia,"the song visits a life’s journey from a cold, dark past to a place of hope andnew beginnings. But all the while still retaining the memories and theacceptance that what was, has made you into what you are now. How did you getto that point where you made the concession to your past and found your wereable to move forward?
AD: Yeah, I’m moving forward, but part of the idea of the new Siberia was also to maintain some of my dark core.Because I really had a difficult home life and it really shaped me. I’ve goneon a journey to become a much happier person but I’m always going to have alittle touch of that sadness in me. So, I didn’t want to move to some warmplace, I’m just looking for a new Siberia.Also, there’s so much beauty and sadness in me that I actually… some of it Irevel inside of. That’s the idea of a new Siberia…abetter place but still true to myself.
KT: Your first album, Big DreamBoulevard was released in 2006 to a lot of fanfare and criticalacclaim. It had to be a bit unnerving as well as overwhelming. 
AD: Yes, that was the beginning of making a true living in music soit was kind of the most exciting time. It was a dream coming true and it washappening. I miss that time because it was so exciting. Now I’m just doing itfor a living and it’s more like a job.

Antje with Ellis Paul

KT: As New Siberia, yourthird studio album, is being released, do you find it is a different type ofanticipation with all you have to deal with now; like the interviews andeverything that goes along with it?
AD: It still feels new, but yeah, there’s a different anticipation.But I’m still pretty excited about it. I think in the beginning I got to tourwith a lot of my heroes, like I got to open for Ellis Paul and the gratifyingpart was I got to meet my heroes. I’ve met most of them and it’s been reallygreat, but now I’m more focused on my own thing. And I’m looking more towardsthe fans and the touring.
KT: And when you release a CD, do you startthe tour in a different frame of mind, to introduce new music to the people oris it just you’re going out on tour again?
AD: I think the latter. I mean, I’m always on tour; even I don’t havea new record out. I do have to (tour). At least fifty percent of my living isbased on playing live, so it’s kind of an ongoing thing.
KT: Some of your songs have been covered byother artists, most notably by the Irish-American group Solas. And your song"Merry Go Round" was used in a bank commercial a few years back. Asan artist, how do you feel when some of your songs grow wings and fly away assomeone else interprets them? 
AD: It’s probably one of the best feelings ever. When someone elsechooses to cover your song, and you hear them sing it and they make it theirown, it suddenly sounds like a real song. Whereas when you’re doing it, it’sjust something you made from your head, it doesn’t seem like it’s real. Butwhen you hear someone else interpreting it, then ok, it’s a real song. It’s agreat feeling, really honoring and flattering.
KT: For those who have never heard your musicbefore today, describe the journey your music will provide to them.
AD: Well, I think like you’ve already mentioned, it’s kind ofhonest and a little vulnerable. So, if someone is looking for an emotionalexperience, and having a deep experience with music, then I think they willlike my music. If they are just looking for something to play while they arecleaning, then... maybe not.
The official release date of New Siberia isSeptember 18, 2012. Easy listening to be sure,not recommended foruse while cleaning.

For more information on Antje Duvekot and NewSiberia, visit her website AntjeDuvekot.com
Antje on reverbnation.comNewSiberia Official Video

A few morsels of  the music of Antje Duvekot:. Enjoy the tastes.
Into the City
Noah's Titanic 
Phoenix
Sleepy Sea of Indigo and Blue

First published as Antje Duvekot: A Journey to a New Siberia on Technorati

.