“Hers is a knowing voice, world-weary like Lucinda Williams’, expressive like Kathleen Edwards’ [and] mysterious like Jolie Holland’s.â€
- Fred Mills for Harp Magazine
Of her musical objectives, singer-songwriter Clare Burson explains, “I’ve always leaned towards poetic simplicity and subtlety in my music—wanting to express as much as I can with the fewest possible words and musical flourishes.†This desire for melodic minimalism manifests itself into an effortless sound, filled with deceptively straightforward lyrics and unforced harmonies. As in her previous releases, Burson’s new album Thieves is a collection of heartbreaking love songs, characterized by evocative imagery and subtle metaphors.
Inspired by her relocation from Nashville to Brooklyn, Thieves reflects Burson’s newfound perspective on music, both in terms of her career and her artistry. Burson was able to let go of conventional ideas that define musical success and focus on the joy and comfort of writing and performing. She also relinquished some artistic control with Thieves, “letting the specifics of song selection, arrangement and instrumentation remain spontaneous and open for discussion.â€
In June 2006, Nashville-based co-producer Fognode joined the newly transplanted Burson in New York. “The decision to work with Fognode was a relatively easy one. We had worked together enough for us both to understand how much and where we could push the other musically.†The two set up shop in a Brooklyn brownstone, opening the windows, turning up Burson’s amp and unpacking suitcases full of recording gear.
A classically trained violinist, and later, conversant in Bluegrass, Celtic and Klezmer fiddle tunes, Burson began playing guitar while studying history at Brown University. After college and a year in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, Burson spent two years in Boston before returning to Tennessee. Her songs have been heard on Dawson's Creek, and the ABC dramas, Six Degrees and Big Shots.
In March of 2007, Burson was awarded a two-year Six Points Fellowship, which is funding her current project due out in March 2009. The new album involves grandmothers, Eastern Europe, and a 100+ year old wedge of cheese.
