Tanya Donelly:
A few years ago I was asked by my friend Wes (Wesley Stace aka John Wesley Harding) to take part in The Cabinet of Wonders, a kind of traveling cabaret he created with Eugene Mirman that taps into the local talent pool of the cities it visits. At the time, I found myself slipping into retirement, not quite on purpose, and this sounded fun so I signed on. That night, and at subsequent Cabinets, I met some writers and musicians that I had admired for years, and the general collaborative vibe was exciting and inspiring to me. At the end of these shows, there were the usual polite post-party “we should do something together” farewells, and I started following up on these parting conversations; asking for either musical or lyrical contributions that might turn into songs. I ended up receiving everything from a few scattered words and chords, to fully fleshed out poems or song structures, and one short story.
In the past few years, I’ve reached out to a few other friends and acquaintances, started writing with some, and continue to pester others with invitations as they occur. This initial collection features collaborations with Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom, solo), author Rick Moody, Michael Hearst (One Ring Zero), Claudia Gonson (Magnetic Fields, Future Bible Heroes), author and musician Wesley Stace/John Wesley Harding, Brian Sullivan (Dylan in the Movies), author Mary Gaitskill, jazzers Joe McMahon and David Brophy (both Joe McMahon Trio), the Masons, Manolis Famellos, and my husband and partner in all things musical Dean Fisher. I also invited some of my favorite players to contribute their huge talent: Carrie Bradley (the Breeders, Edʼs Redeeming Qualities), Sam Davol (Magnetic Fields), Jacob Valenzuela (Calexico), David Narcizo (Throwing Muses), the English UK, Anthony Saffrey (Cornershop), Chris Toppin and Hilken Mancini, among others.
New music from Tanya, released in 4 or 5 song batches every month over 'several months'. O M & indeed G.