Monday, November 07, 2005
Stollenwerck Mania! Gets Hard Press
Stollenwerck Gets Around
She’s being compared to Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell
Singer, songwriter, guitarist Samantha Stollenwerck carries her audiences away on smoky trails of her raspy voice.
Her shows are festivals of sorts: good spirited fun. Fresh from the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco, Stollenwerck gives Mill Valley an opportunity to hear what many are calling the next great voice of California. Stollenwerck and her band The Ritual perform at the Sweetwater for the first time in a year on December 29. most of the songs on the set list that night will be originals from their first album, "Square One," due out in February.
Stollenwerck's style is a fusion of folk, rock, soul and gospel, She had been compared to Janis Joplin and Joan Baez and her influences stretch from Simon and Garfunkel to Led Zeppelin to Nina Simone.
Within the last few months she has played at a December 11th Rex Foundation benefit with Bob Weir, opened for Karl Denson's Tiny Universe at the Fillmore Auditorium and performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival along with big names like Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Elvis Costello and Modest Mouse. In the Pocket Records will officially release "Square One" in FEbruary, with a CD release part on February 4 at the Elbo Room in San Francisco. A slew of special musical guests will also perform.
Mill Valley Herald: You've been really busy lately.
Samantha Stollenwerck: Yeah, I've had some awesome shows. I played the Fillmore for the first time, that was really exciting. I performed at the Austin Music festival. Everywhere I've gone there has been a music idol. I've really loved all the behind-the-scenes stuff with other musicians. It's really inspiring. I've also gone on some road shows. And my CD's officially coming out on February 22.
MVH: You must be really excited about all your recent success.
SS: I've been having a lot of minor successes since the fall. I've had a couple of good breaks; I've been meeting a lot of great musicians. I feel like I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. I never set out to be a musician. I never studied music; it wasn't a trade for me. I was an English major at Berkeley. When I was younger I was an athlete. But I was always intersted in music, live music. I used to play little shows with a band I started in college called Shady Lady. We played all over Berkeley and I got to know how to run a band from the business side as well as the musical.
MVH: Do you ever use any of your literature background when you write your songs?
SS: Kind of. When I'm writing a tune, I like to research what I'm writing about, I like to use a lot of imagery in my songs. Recently, I based a tune on Icarus. I used the idea of the story, I like to intergrate past stories, ancient history and personal philosophies into my songs, so people can relate.
MVH: So, what is it like to play with musicians like Bob Weir?
SS: It was totally cool playing with Bob Weir. I know all the Grateful Dead songs, so it was great being able to sing back-up with him. He was like a college professor, he even had hand signals for every key change. He made hand motions, like a coach; it was super fun.
MVH: What was it like to record your first CD?
SS: THe Ritual and I recorded the CD at the beginning of the year, and it turned out really well. It took a long time to make. It was a struggle for me on a business and artistic. I wanted to see that recording an album was really what I wanted to do, and if the music would turn out well. I also had a heavy hand in it's production and arrangement. In the end , I really enjoyed it. It was cool to come out with something that I lot to do with.
MVH: Are you going to be playing songs from you new CD at the Sweetwater?
SS: Yeah, we'll do a bunch of those. It's mostly going to be all of my original stuff. We'll probably also do some fun covers, like "Burning Down the House" and "Whatta Man."
MVH: Have you been to the Mill Valley area before?
SS: Well, I grew up in San Diego, but my dad used to live in San Francisco so I would come up here a lot. I've always loved the area-- Mil Valley especially. It's always given off this nice hippie vibe. It has the laid-back feeling of Souther California, but with an edge, a European sensibility. Mill Valley has this pastoral, natural setting, with an edge of intellectualism.
MVH: Speaking of your dad, by the way, when I typed your name into Yahoo I found a web site called "Stollenwerck Mania." The man who created the web site referred to a daughter named Samantha. Is that your Dad's site?
SS: Yeah! I can't believe you found that. My dad created a blog for the Stollenwercks. He thought it would be funny to track all of us down, since we have such an unusual- and long- name. Now because of that I get a lot of Stollenwercks showing up at my shows.
MVH: Sorry to interrupt you, but I had to ask. So, since you do know the area, have you been to the Sweetwater Saloon before?
SS: Yeah, I've been going to the Sweetwater since my Berkeley days, I used to play open mics there. It's definitely one of my favorite venues. I actually just played solo there a month ago. I opened for the Rowan Brothers. Now I am going to play with the band. I'm so excited!
Samantha and the Ritual play Sweetwater Dec. 29 at 9 PM. Tickets are $7. For more information call 388.2820. ¶ 5:34 PM
She’s being compared to Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell
Singer, songwriter, guitarist Samantha Stollenwerck carries her audiences away on smoky trails of her raspy voice.
Her shows are festivals of sorts: good spirited fun. Fresh from the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco, Stollenwerck gives Mill Valley an opportunity to hear what many are calling the next great voice of California. Stollenwerck and her band The Ritual perform at the Sweetwater for the first time in a year on December 29. most of the songs on the set list that night will be originals from their first album, "Square One," due out in February.
Stollenwerck's style is a fusion of folk, rock, soul and gospel, She had been compared to Janis Joplin and Joan Baez and her influences stretch from Simon and Garfunkel to Led Zeppelin to Nina Simone.
Within the last few months she has played at a December 11th Rex Foundation benefit with Bob Weir, opened for Karl Denson's Tiny Universe at the Fillmore Auditorium and performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival along with big names like Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Elvis Costello and Modest Mouse. In the Pocket Records will officially release "Square One" in FEbruary, with a CD release part on February 4 at the Elbo Room in San Francisco. A slew of special musical guests will also perform.
Mill Valley Herald: You've been really busy lately.
Samantha Stollenwerck: Yeah, I've had some awesome shows. I played the Fillmore for the first time, that was really exciting. I performed at the Austin Music festival. Everywhere I've gone there has been a music idol. I've really loved all the behind-the-scenes stuff with other musicians. It's really inspiring. I've also gone on some road shows. And my CD's officially coming out on February 22.
MVH: You must be really excited about all your recent success.
SS: I've been having a lot of minor successes since the fall. I've had a couple of good breaks; I've been meeting a lot of great musicians. I feel like I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. I never set out to be a musician. I never studied music; it wasn't a trade for me. I was an English major at Berkeley. When I was younger I was an athlete. But I was always intersted in music, live music. I used to play little shows with a band I started in college called Shady Lady. We played all over Berkeley and I got to know how to run a band from the business side as well as the musical.
MVH: Do you ever use any of your literature background when you write your songs?
SS: Kind of. When I'm writing a tune, I like to research what I'm writing about, I like to use a lot of imagery in my songs. Recently, I based a tune on Icarus. I used the idea of the story, I like to intergrate past stories, ancient history and personal philosophies into my songs, so people can relate.
MVH: So, what is it like to play with musicians like Bob Weir?
SS: It was totally cool playing with Bob Weir. I know all the Grateful Dead songs, so it was great being able to sing back-up with him. He was like a college professor, he even had hand signals for every key change. He made hand motions, like a coach; it was super fun.
MVH: What was it like to record your first CD?
SS: THe Ritual and I recorded the CD at the beginning of the year, and it turned out really well. It took a long time to make. It was a struggle for me on a business and artistic. I wanted to see that recording an album was really what I wanted to do, and if the music would turn out well. I also had a heavy hand in it's production and arrangement. In the end , I really enjoyed it. It was cool to come out with something that I lot to do with.
MVH: Are you going to be playing songs from you new CD at the Sweetwater?
SS: Yeah, we'll do a bunch of those. It's mostly going to be all of my original stuff. We'll probably also do some fun covers, like "Burning Down the House" and "Whatta Man."
MVH: Have you been to the Mill Valley area before?
SS: Well, I grew up in San Diego, but my dad used to live in San Francisco so I would come up here a lot. I've always loved the area-- Mil Valley especially. It's always given off this nice hippie vibe. It has the laid-back feeling of Souther California, but with an edge, a European sensibility. Mill Valley has this pastoral, natural setting, with an edge of intellectualism.
MVH: Speaking of your dad, by the way, when I typed your name into Yahoo I found a web site called "Stollenwerck Mania." The man who created the web site referred to a daughter named Samantha. Is that your Dad's site?
SS: Yeah! I can't believe you found that. My dad created a blog for the Stollenwercks. He thought it would be funny to track all of us down, since we have such an unusual- and long- name. Now because of that I get a lot of Stollenwercks showing up at my shows.
MVH: Sorry to interrupt you, but I had to ask. So, since you do know the area, have you been to the Sweetwater Saloon before?
SS: Yeah, I've been going to the Sweetwater since my Berkeley days, I used to play open mics there. It's definitely one of my favorite venues. I actually just played solo there a month ago. I opened for the Rowan Brothers. Now I am going to play with the band. I'm so excited!
Samantha and the Ritual play Sweetwater Dec. 29 at 9 PM. Tickets are $7. For more information call 388.2820. ¶ 5:34 PM
