Everyones hoping to be the one
Spun, straw into gold and outshine the sun Fools Gold
Sometimes, luck plays a part when a young artist is fortunate enough to achieve a moment in the musical spotlight. For Adrienne Pierce, however, the incredible list of accomplishments that have happened in her young career make one thing very clear: her successes to date are not based on luck. Those achievements are a result of the sheer strength of her artistry as a singer/songwriter, creating a compelling response not just from fans, but also from participating musicians and world-class producers who have joined her along the way.
The time leading up to Pierces new release Faultline has been filled with the kind of exposure that is normally reserved for more experienced artists. Prior to reaching the recording studio, two of Adrienne's demos were licensed for major American television. Fool's Gold appeared prominently in its entirety on Grey's Anatomy, reaching over 21 million people, while the demo for Lost and Found appeared on Veronica Mars as well as the soundtrack CD for the series. The excitement generated by those two songs definitely helped get me to the place of being focused on this record, enthuses Adrienne and other people seemed excited about that as well. It allowed me the privilege of working with some really talented people on this new CD. Both of those tracks were eventually re-recorded for their intended release on Faultline. We wanted the whole album to be the same story from beginning to end, she explains. Those pieces were recorded in different times and places and were their own little world. With more time, I was able to really sing on these, and we were able to better get what we wanted.
When Pierce made her first foray into a recording studio, it was for the independently-released debut disc Small Fires back in 2002; at the time, the project was both recorded and initially released solely in Vancouver. With the word-of-mouth success and increased interest in her music, Pierce was signed to Nettwerk Management and eventually to the record label. Having the strengths of valuable experiences as well as supportive allies in her corner, Faultline which includes contributions from a host of talented producers and writers has proved to be a great opportunity for Pierce to fully spread her wings. It also confirmed to Adrienne that sticking to her artistic convictions made it possible for her to create the kind of music that other talented artists were drawn to. I had started out writing some music for this record with Jeff Trott, who co-wrote some of my favorite Sheryl Crow songs ["If It Makes You Happy," "Everyday is a Winding Road" My Favorite Mistake] and then he approached Nettwerk saying hed love to produce my album. I was completely honored. Another talented producer and mixer, Thom Russo (Johnny Cash, Janet Jackson) also contacted Pierces management with the desire to become involved. Between the two, they brought together an enviable list of musicians to Faultline, artists who have recorded with everyone from Beck to REM to Fiona Apple and beyond. Even the musicians were joking about what a dream list of great players were involved, enthuses Pierce. I was thrilled to have all these wonderful people to come and play. Additionally, the diversity of the instruments has significantly increased since her previous release; listen closely and youll hear everything from cello to sitar to samples of African vocal loops. While working in the studio has been a wonderful journey, Pierce admits to being equally excited at the thought of taking this new material out on the road. With live shows that international press have described as mesmerizing and intense, Adriennes history of live performances include sharing the stage with the likes of Damien Rice, Ray Lamontagne, Jane Siberry, The Finn Brothers and many more, giving her great experience and inspiration to draw from.
While Faultline is the sum of many parts, just one listen makes it clear that the disc is entirely Adriennes vision. I deeply appreciate all these incredibly talented people with their collective experienceat the same time, this journey also has taught me to trust myself, to know which idea works best based on my own gut. Faultline is filled with all of the emotions that Pierce experienced during the writing and recording of her sophomore CD, with topics touching on everything from protest marches to rising above depression to the mysteries of the afterlife.
Sometimes, when I listen to it, I think that the music has more questions than answers, she admits. I went through a breakup while writing a lot of the songsas a result, if the album had a theme, I think it would be change. That certainly is where the title came from. I wrote these songs primarily in Vancouver and L.A. and recorded them in California. The dual meaning of the word faultline really encompasses a lot that applies to me. First, theres the literal fear of living in an earthquake zone, but then theres also the figurative sense of it feeling that things are moving, maybe slipping away and it is just a force that you cant control. Feeling like at any point, somethings gotta give and just bracing for that. That, to me, that fear mixed with that excitement is what this album is about.
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