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A folkie true to form
Ani DiFranco grew up on the folk circuit. Some may call her brand of music ''unsexy and unsellable and uncool,'' she says. ''That's kind of why I embrace it.''
By BRIAN ORLOFF
© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 11, 2001
Ani DiFranco interrupts herself with monumental bursts of laughter that last for milliseconds and then disappear. They come frequently when she's discussing her cats or defending a political argument.
Ever since birthing her own record label, Righteous Babe Records, at 19, the musical pioneer has been recording, touring relentlessly and amassing a loyal army of followers.
Taking a moment out from a sound check in Jackson Hole, Wy., DiFranco, who performs at the Mahaffey Theater on Sunday, shares her inviting laugh and waxes political.
DiFranco's musical roots stem from the folk circuit in which she grew up.
"A lot of my folksinging friends, over the years, really tried to not be labeled as folksingers because it's so unsexy and unsellable and uncool," DiFranco says. "That's kind of why I embrace it."
"I think that like a lot of those 'F' words -- I call myself a folksinger, I call myself a feminist -- that is supposedly an uncool, unsexy, outdated idea. In many ways I'm part of the folk continuum. I just have my own style about it, I guess."
DiFranco's music has evolved over 13 solo albums, fusing elements of jazz and punk with traditional acoustic soundscapes. Her core band now includes a full horn section, keyboards and backing vocals. Arranging for her new band members has been a welcome challenge, or as DiFranco puts it, "a whole other bag of doughnuts."
With a wealth of material, DiFranco says that her new bandmates "certainly can make an old song real new again."
For fans eager to hear new material, the prolific DiFranco says, "I've always got new stuff, and yeah, there's a bunch of songs that I have in the set now that haven't been recorded yet."
Besides fleshing out tunes with new arrangements, DiFranco is known for music with a political edge, sometimes inciting controversy. DiFranco says that music and the stage are her forums for personal political expression.
"I must say that expressing my political ideas and really trying to live true to those ideals has really brought me much more joy and has been much more gratifying that it ever has been difficult."
By continuing her ceaseless touring, DiFranco says, she can spread her political messages with fans and absorb their perspectives.
"I'm really glad to be out here moving around and getting a sense of what people are thinking and talking about," DiFranco says. "Interacting. And throwing music into these huge stretches of land out here in the middle of the country."
As a folksinger, DiFranco weaves storytelling into her live set. In light of recent events, DiFranco says she finds herself discussing "the impending doom vibe of this battle cry of retribution that the president is unleashing."
The philosophical DiFranco shares her outlook: "To say that we should continue that cycle of wanton violence and misdirected anger is really unfortunate."
Before things turn too somber, that laugh works itself back into the conversation. Does DiFranco have a trial audience to test out the material before taking it on the road?
No, she says, stretching it out sheepishly.
Not even pets that will listen?
"Yeah, well, yeah, the cats."
DiFranco laughs.
"If they don't drop dead, then we take it out of the house."
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