TV judge returns to recording studio
A conversation with classical singer
Measha Brueggergosman’s new album, I’ve Got a Crush on You, spans 13 tracks that range from opera to reggae — but, as always, it’s notable for the classically trained singer’s soaring voice. Postmedia News’ Matthew Wright spoke with Brueggergosman, a judge on Canada’s Got Talent, about sound landscapes, recording live and making the rounds.
Q: Did you record the entire album in a studio?
A: Of the 13 tracks, there are only four studio tracks on the album: Misty, Partons la mer est belle, Whole To My Half, and Tonight I Drive You Home. The other ones were recorded live, either at the Seahorse Tavern in Halifax, or the Cedar Tree Cafe in Fredericton. We did three nights at The Seahorse Tavern and two nights at the Cedar Tree Cafe. Then, we just picked the best recordings of those five nights.
Q: Why stray from your classical roots?
A: Before this, I’ve released five solo albums, two on CBC records and three on Deutsche Gramophone, but they’ve all been classical music. I’ve Got a Crush on You is the first album I’ve overseen from start to finish, funded myself, and chosen all the repertoire for; I went on the process that so many Canadian artists embark on, seeing their project go from its gestational stages all the way to its birth.
Q: You funded the album yourself ?
A: Yes. You know, you go on tour, generate some funds, pay the band; and then, after a while, see what mastering and mixing this stuff involves. If you keep your ears and eyes open, and take advantage of opportunities and doors that open, then I find things work out quite well.
Q: How did you choose what songs to cover?
A: Choosing these tunes ultimately came down to creating a collection of songs that I’d been singing for some time, but never pooled into one place; I know Ron Sexsmith, so I covered his song, Secret Heart. I grew up singing Arcadian songs, (which is why I recorded) Partons la mer est belle, and hymns, which is why I recorded Ride On King Jesus ... For every tune chosen, I wrote the reason it’s on the album in the sleeve notes. The track listing looks like a motley crew of songs, but if you know how and where I grew up, and why I make the choices that I do, you’d know it couldn’t have been any other way.
Q: Do you ever write your own material?
A: I’m an interpreter, not a writer. I’m a muse, not a creator; I have the gift of allowing things to flow through me and I enjoy the process of interpretation and I revere great songwriting. It happens, both in the modern context of the Canadian music landscape through the tunes of Gershwin, and in a traditional sense through spirituals and folk songs. That said, for the album, I co-wrote Whole to My Half. It was the first time I’d had the courage to show these lyrics I’d been writing since 2009, since my aortic dissection. I like David’s way of composing so much that he’s not going to lie to me; he’s a good friend and I’m just going to pull the trigger. He wrote exactly like I’d hoped, and had never written a song to anyone else’s lyrics before.
Q: Tell me about your heart operation. When did you get back to singing?
A: I had the operation on June 10, 2009, and the first time I sang was on July 4. It was incredibly horrible and painful, but I really wanted to start singing straight away. When I was losing weight in 2006, some wondered whether weight loss affected my singing, but I was singing all the time. Another thing that helped is practising bikram yoga. Now, I teach it. Really, there’s no disconnect between the mind and the body ... The only thing you can count on is change; you learn to live in these changes and embrace them.
Q: Why did you choose to use such sparse, minimalist production?
A: I love these songs so much. The musicians were incredible. I’m not sure you need much more than that. I’m classically trained, and in classical music, everything is acoustic. Ultimately, what you’re wanting to do when recording from this perspective is to recreate what the sound would be like in a classical setting. The sonic landscape is what it would be in classical music; the sound has to be born out of the personnel involved. It seems like a very natural thing just to play what’s on the page.
Q: What do you think of the current trend toward big, glossy production in popular music?
A: It’s not to say I don’t appreciate the method of music-making that requires, or is inspired by, artificially generated sounds, but that’s not the (sound) landscape I hear in my head. If you listen to a track and it needs a tambourine, by all means, add it; all of that will add to the organic nature of great songwriting. We still have these wonderful modern technologies at our disposal, but I can tell the difference between someone who is plugged into a machine and someone who has taken the time to craft a composition. Although, sometimes — it’s rare — you get both in the same package. Ultimately, I’m always trying to recreate what it was like at the time of the performance, to create an album that makes people feel like they were there.
Measha Brueggergosman’s album, I’ve Got a Crush on You, will be released online on April 17 and in stores April 24.