Getting to Know … Melissa Greener

By Kathy Sands-Boehmer

There are so many talented singer-songwriters around and Melissa Greener is a new favorite. I heard a buzz about her from last year’s Kerrville Festival. Several musicians who were taking part in song circles came back and reported that I had to hear Melissa. I didn’t get a chance to meet her until last fall at the NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance) conference in New York and had her participate in our Base Camp Boston showcase. It was worth the wait. Melissa’s delivery and calm, collected yet passionate presence on stage is something to experience. Her songs compare strongly to a young Ani DiFranco and Dar Williams. Take a moment and find out more about Melissa on her website and listen to a few of her songs on her MySpace page.

So, what prompted you to leave the music hotbed of Austin for the New York City scene?

I got a phone call one balmy, late-July, Austin night from a friend who offered me a first chance to sublet his East Village apartment. I couldn’t think of a reason not to. I had been considering relocating out east because I was touring and recording out this way, and then the opportunity just presented itself. Austin is an incredible city to play & hear amazing music. But its distance from major business centers can make it a hard place to attain success in music. Nonetheless, I still miss it every single day.

Your mother was a lounge singer at the Playboy Club in Detroit. As a child, what were your impressions of the music business based on the experience of having your mom sing in such a unique place?

My mother did her ‘lounge’ stint far before I was in the picture. I didn’t learn of her experience at the Playboy Club until I was much older. As a child, the main impression I had about the music business was that you couldn’t make a living doing it. Although my mother was a professional singer, I wasn’t encouraged to pursue music professionally.

Can you recall the moment when you decided to make music your career?

I had played the guitar, sang, and written songs for much of my life. Music was always my first love, but it never occurred to me that I could pursue it as a career. I was a practicing studio ceramic artist for several years, and was ‘on the path’ to becoming a real contender in that field. In 2002 I was living in a small village in rural China, teaching at a Ceramic Institute and was borrowing a guitar from one of my students. I wrote lot of songs — they were flowing out of me like water. It was that year that I discovered (much to my dismay) that I would be miserable if I didn’t give music my fullest effort and attention.

What have you learned about yourself since you’ve been living the singer-songwriter life?

Mostly, that I have SO very much to learn! I’ve definitely become more comfortable with my neurotic nature, having had the opportunity to travel solo around the country in my van, keep myself going, gigging, and human all at once. I’ve learned what I’m capable of, what my limitations are, where I excel, where I need help. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that I don’t have control over anything. Because of this I have learned — to some extent – the importance of surrender. Surrender, that is, after all effort has been made.

Tell us about your upcoming CD release that is being produced by John Jennings. We know the amazing work he has done with Mary Chapin Carpenter. What brought about the opportunity to work with him?

Through a friend of a friend John got hold of a little demo that I had out before my first album was released. I received an email from him one day expressing interest in working with me. I had been a fan of his work by way of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Janis Ian, John Gorka, and Catie Curtis and was naturally thrilled at the prospect of working with him. John is a true musician, maybe the best I know. At the time though, I was already in production with a very talented producer in Austin. So the opportunity had to wait until now.

I’m so excited about this project! It’s been a long time in the making, and I feel, well worth the wait. These songs are my strongest yet, reflecting on notions of home, family, and quirks of the human condition. My first record felt like I was sculpting an art project. With this album every single element is there to support the song. I can’t wait to release this project!

Like many of us, Kathy Sands-Boehmer wears many hats. An editor by profession, she also operates Harbortown Music and books artists for the Me and Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In her spare time, Kathy can be found at local music haunts all over New England. This and many previous Q & A interviews with artists are archived at www.meandthee.org/blog, as well as in the Features section of AcousticMusicScene.com.