Close-knit working musicians who play together and support one another in a variety of band lineups and solo projects are the lifeblood of any local music scene. But traveling bands get all the attention, often at the expense of local***image2*** talent. One of these locals, singer-songwriter and Americana artist Martha Reich, has been on my radar since her 2006 release,
Evidence of Life
. But despite my best intentions last year, I never got around to writing anything substantial about her work until now. As I talk with Reich about her music, I am relieved to find someone who is optimistic about Santa Fe's music scene and not terribly interested in finding a record contract at the end of the rainbow.
SFR: Tell me about the moment when music took center stage in your life.
MR:
When I moved to Santa Fe from Massachusetts in 1999, or maybe a couple years after that. I finished my first CD [
The Color of Blue
] here and when I got it back, I started to gig. And then music just became truly important to me, even though my main job was as a massage therapist.
Have you always played music?
When I was a kid I played guitar in private, never in front of people. When I was in my early 30s I started writing songs. Even though I was still afraid to play in public, I still had this desire to sing my songs. Eventually, I started playing open mics in New England.
With the music industry crumbling around us, are you interested in landing a recording contract or is success measured in another way for you?
That's not my goal. I don't consider a recording contract as a gauge of success. I've had people say in the past that if I wrote differently that I could have a hit song. But that's not my goal. I just want to play a lot. I like the fact that my last CD,
Evidence of Life
, is getting airplay and is responded to really well, and that makes me feel great.
Evidence
was nominated for Best Album for the New Mexico Music Awards. It didn't win, but it was among other really incredible musicians and that made me feel successful. I never even imagined getting to that point.
Do these kinds of public awards add any kind of validation to your songs or does it change your relationship to their personal meaning?
Not really. For me, a successful song is when I'm being honest in writing it and not being afraid to say certain things. If people recognize it in the form of an award, I think they are acknowledging that honesty. The response is surprising but it doesn't change anything for me.
You're a singer-songwriter in a town full of singer-songwriters. Describe your experience as a musician in Santa Fe.
For me, it's perfect. I've heard a lot of musicians complain about it and the lack of venues and things like that. Personally, it's been really good to me. I like to play at coffeehouses more than bars and restaurants. I'm not a full-time musician, even though it's my greatest love, and because of that it's OK.
Music audiences might not be aware that Americana is one of the most sonically complex genres in music. You keep it pretty simple. Is your energy focused on other elements in the music?
I wouldn't mind having more instrumentation. I don't really write in a way that's easy for other musicians to play with me. I like the simplicity, which is really my sound. There's a real beauty in the simplicity.
Do you think singer-songwriters are still relevant in the music world or are music audiences only interested for the hook and pop melodies?
There's definitely a place for the singer-songwriter today, without that hook. Some songwriters really do have that hook quality, but it's not the majority. I actually think there's a revival of the older singer-songwriter sound, so I wouldn't give up on it just yet.
Martha Reich with Michael Kott
6:30 pm, Saturday, Jan. 26.
No cover.
Body
333 Cordova Road
986-1111
