BALCONYTV.COM 15/09/2008
PRESENTED BY PAULINE FREEMAN
Who truly understands inspiration? It comes in as many varieties as music itself, and it leaves when its wants. All you can do is follow where it leads. Inspiration for Kirsten Thien arrived one lazy Sunday morning in the East Village, and she was ready. Whether it was the Fender Telecaster in the corner yearning for attention, or simply the after effects of too much mischief the night before, Thien tumbled into a creative wave one September morning, and rode it all the way to the release of her second album, Youve Got Me. It almost never happens that a song comes as quickly and completely as Youve Got Me did, she says. But when the craft rewards you with something like that, you listen and follow. Thien has been listening since the end of her college days when, set to graduate from Georgetown University with a degree in finance, she finally gave in to her passion and understood what her life was supposed to be about. She blew off the interviews that had been arranged with investment banks and started her own band. Eventually, her path pulled her to New York, where she funded her music with a secure and stable office job. I was sinking every dime from my day job into recordings and doing shows around New York, she says. But I realized I wasnt really dedicating myself to music and songwriting. So she went for it. She quit the job and hit the road. Thien toured up and down the East Coast, first as a duo and later with her band. The road gave her the chance to take a breath of fresh air and infuse it into her songs, both old and new expanding her set list. And it provided her with material for her new album. Youve Got Me is pretty much a relationship album, but its not just about me and my own relationships, she says. When youre constantly meeting new people, their experiences affect you, beg to be written about. As a result, songs on Youve Got Me run the gamut, from the upbeat See You Again, to the subdued Is This the Love—from the optimism of Starting Today, to the longing of Youre Not Mine. Thien oversaw the production of the album while creating a supporting cast of proven musicians which included Erik Boyd on bass and co-production (Mama and the Papas), Marc Muller as producer and on guitar (Shania Twain, Steve Forbert), Tommy Mandel on keyboards and Hammond B3 (The Pretenders, Dire Straits), and Steve Holley on drums (Wings and Dar Williams.) Even members of The New West Horns (The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin) contributed by writing the horn arrangements on the album. As a follow up to her 2001 debut, She Really Is, Thiens new album displays the breadth of her influences. Blues, soul, rock and even disco are all apparent in the eleven tracks on Youve Got Me. The new album also demonstrates her growth as a songwriter. We didnt take as many chances on the first album, she says. But on Youve Got Me, I took a completely different approach. From the start, I wanted to take risks, let songs take us where they wanted to. It was so liberating.
http://www.myspace.com/kirstenthien
Tune in again tomorrow!!!
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GALIA ARAD AND KIRSTEN THIENby StephenORegan3,572 views
Kirsten just send the hand written chord chart to the singer of our band, after our request in order to cover this song. She's not only a great singer and musician, but a lovely person as well!
snoek1971 8 months ago
kirsten is the princess of rock & soul from nyc. check out her website and listen to 'love that's made to share' from her latest album 'delicious'. if you dig the blues, you'll dig it too.
masarutanaka1956 1 year ago
Kirsten, awesome job! Keep up the great writing! Tom
TomBVoxman 2 years ago
Great song and singing!
mimizweig 3 years ago
i love that guitar sound
meallat 3 years ago