Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom (born 1982) is a harpist, pianist, harpsichordist, singer and songwriter based in her hometown of Nevada City. Her brother Peter is also a musician, and she is a cousin of San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom studied music and creative writing at Mills College. Although her harp playing is not completely divorced from conventional harp techniques, she considers her style distinct from that of classically-focused harpists.

She is one of the most prominent members of the modern psych folk movement, although she does not acknowledge ties to any particular musical scene. Her songwriting incorporates elements of indie pop, Appalachian music, avant-garde modernism, and African harp rhythms. Many are struck by Newsom's unusual voice, considered child-like and weathered (at least one critic has compared it to Lisa Simpson's). She herself has been disappointed at the child-like comparison, because she thinks that it suggests an interpretation of her music that she does not approve of.

After touring with Will Oldham, she was quickly signed to Drag City and released her debut album The Milk-Eyed Mender in 2004. Shortly thereafter, Newsom toured with Devendra Banhart and Vetiver. Since then she has become a prominent indie musician and appeared live on The Jimmy Kimmel Show on ABC. In the same year her song This Side of the Blue was used on a British television commercial for Orange SA.

Her second album Ys was released in November 2006. The album features orchestrations and arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, production from Steve Albini, and mixing by Drag City label-mate Jim O'Rourke.

Alongside her solo material she has played on records by Smog, Vetiver, Nervous Cop, Vashti Bunyan and Golden Shoulders and plays keyboards for The Pleased.

bio from Wikipedia's article on Joanna Newsom. Pic by Stig Nygaard.