Carnival is climbing with a bullet! Thanks to all the Americana DJ’s for spinning this indie record right along side the big dogs!
American Songwriter asked me a few questions about my hope, dreams, turn-ons…in truth, it felt a bit like a dating service questionnaire…anyone want to go on a date?
ARTIST: Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line
SONG: “Carnival”
BIRTHDATE: 11/11 – my lucky number
BIRTHPLACE: Fairfax, VA
AMBITIONS: As a writer, I endeavor to inspire empathy, which is why I write primarily story songs. As a human, I’d like to be more skilled at making things with my own hands, homesteader-style.
TURN-OFFS: judgement, arrogance, overly manicured eyebrows.
TURN-ONS: bravery… and beards.
DREAM GIG: Red Rocks – opening for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
TV ADDICTIONS: Winter is coming.
CELEBRITY CRUSH: Maggie Smith and/or Eddie Vedder
MY FAVORITE CONCERT EXPERIENCE: Ani DiFranco at Carnegie Hall
THE BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: The Scarlett Letter
5 PEOPLE I’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Tom Petty, Michelle Obama, Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, my 3-year-old niece Ava Jane.
I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT: tea tree toothpicks and a positive attitude.
WE WROTE THIS SONG: from the perspective of a young girl who longs to see the world beyond her own small-town experience. We all grow up in a small world; some folks stay in it their whole lives, while others break out and see they way other people live. It seems to me, that it’s easier to be empathetic and kinder when you get to know lots of kinds of people.
Sandwiched in between Kris Kristofferson and Mumford & Sons (which is not a bad place for a gal, or a record, to find herself), Carnival makes a jump to #26 on the Americana Radio Chart. Thanks to all the DJs out there spinning it!
NPR Music posts a video of our theme song, Party Line, off of our upcoming release Carnival! This video was filmed in Toronto by our good friends at Folk Alley: Linda Fahey, Jeff Oehler, Susan Bibeau, and Jon Nungesser. Here’s what they say about the new album:
by Kim Ruehl
It’s no surprise that Brent Truitt was the producer on tap for Nora Jane Struthers’ new second album, Carnival. Truitt is best known for his work with Dixie Chicks, Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton — three artists whose music, if you could melt it down and mix it all together, might come out sounding like Struthers and her backup band, The Party Line.
Here, in the tune after which she named the group, Struthers sings an old-timey country song about an old-timey country tradition, in a voice as sweet as honeysuckle. Fiddle lines from the gifted Aaron Jonah Lewis and duet vocals by banjo player Joe Overton round out the foot-tapping, spirited interplay. This is real country music — nothing but a handful of strings and vocals, brought home by way of Struthers’ innate charm.
Credits
- Recorded at Folk Alliance International in Toronto, Ontario
- Producers: Linda Fahey & Beehive Productions
- Audio: Jeff Oehler
- Video: Susan Bibeau
- Cameras: Susan Bibeau, Jon Nungesser, Linda Fahey
