“When she delves into the personal,… it is pure magic” sounds like suspiciously high praise, but “High Relief” garnered such words from none other than premier Seattle music mag The Rocket. Where musicians typically play the gig circuit and then maybe record an album before the retirement funds mature, first priority for Seattle artist Susan Court had always been to save up her pennies, hole herself up in the studio, gather talented people around her, tell her story, and finally shove it all into a glossy, retail-ready package for posterity. Making good use of long stretches of downtime between studio sessions, she also did all the artwork. “I like to think of this CD as a scrapbook that I gave myself years to shape toward physical form. Getting through the whole process was hard at times, and I have a renewed respect for anyone who puts out their own recordings on par with the majors.” Small wonder, then, that Susan titled her folk-pop 1998 debut CD release “High Relief.”
Inclusion in several “Best of 1998” lists, airplay in the commercial radio, national satellite and online realms, featured Song of the Day (twice!) on mp3.com, critical acclaim, international online and local retail sales are all fun twists and turns in the road, but the big thrill for Susan was hearing her songs materialize from what had been locked in her head. One by one the Ensoniq “scratchpad” tracks were replaced as diverse musicians were recruited into the mix. The rich brew of session players includes the proven talents of Jami Sieber (solo artist formerly from Rumors of the Big Wave) on electric and acoustic celli; Mark Yeend (formerly with Ondine and now with Little Buddy) on percussion; John Morton on guitars; Jonathan Burns on electric bass; Garey Shelton on fretless bass; Ted Kamp on upright bass; Tim Miller on extra percussion; Robert Puff on recorder; and Mary Lord from the Early Music Guild on lute.
Susan Court’s expressive vocal and piano dialogue set against an undercurrent of lush arrangements made early comparisons to Kate Bush and Tori Amos inevitable, but those aren’t coming as hard and fast anymore thanks to the extra time and live shows that allow Susan to find her own unique voice. She also owes a debt to fans of Happy Rhodes, whose “ecto” mailing list spawned a devoted fanbase hungry to support similar new female talent. Court says “Actually, I’m very honored at those comparisons at the same time that I’m wary of them. I’ve loosened up to where the next album can have a stronger piano focus, which will better correspond with the live shows.”
This natural affinity for DIY innovation helped lead to Court’s position as co-moderator of a mailing list known as Indiegrrl. Founded in 1998 by fellow Seattle musician Holly Figueroa to support independent women in the music industry, Indiegrrl has since exploded into a bona fide phenomenon, gaining the attention of national magazines such as Billboard and Seventeen with its inaugural 1999 Summer Tour, record label, future non-profit organization status, and Compilation CD Volume 1 – for which Susan designed the cover art and layout.
And then there are the songs. “Live shows factor in there heavily now that I have an instrument worthy of lugging around. The Kawai MP9000 has a beautiful action and sound, and having the freedom to finally be self-reliant and convey all those parts spontaneously is an incredible rush.” That energy heightens exponentially when she shares the stage with Joe Bichsel on cello and Tim Miller on percussion.
The age-old specter of tortured artiste may not be dogging her lately, but wearing as many hats as she does leaves no room for angst. Possessed of multiple functionality, the singer-songwriter-etc’er has found that “happiness is actually a great thing to have on occasion.” As if to prove it, she is taking time out from performing to start a family.
…And if she’s not dead, she’s living still!
That much is true as of 1/22/01.
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