Ruth Moody is an Australian-born, two-time Juno Award winning singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. She is best known for being a member of the trio The Wailin’ Jennys and for her frequent appearances on the radio show “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Moody will be performing with her ethereal vocals, impressive multi-instrumentalism and insightful song-writing on Thurs., Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Orcas Center.
Tickets are $25, $19 for Orcas Center members and $11 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the Orcas Center box office at 376-ACT1 or at www.orcascenter.org.
For more information about Ruth Moody, visit her website at www.ruthmoody.com.
The Sounder caught up with Moody to ask her a few questions about making music and life on the road.
Sounder: What is the difference between performing with a group and performing as an individual?
RM: I have three great musicians in my band so it’s still a group performance. I guess the way it’s different from the Jennys is that I am the sole front-person and sole songwriter in the band, so I’m running the show, so to speak. I love doing both. It’s fun to share those duties with the Jennys but it’s also a rewarding challenge to take on that responsibility on my own. The guys are funny and great to banter with as well; they keep it fun and fresh for me.
Sounder: After listening to your cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” the Sounder was wondering if you could speak to why artists like to take on well-known songs and give them a second life?
RM: There is no denying a good song. Singing other people’s songs feels good – you’re paying tribute to something that has inspired you and others. And when you play it for others there is an immediate connection because of that recognition. As for why I chose that song in particular, I learned it for fun and then realized it would lend itself well to the band’s chamber-grass sound. It was fun to turn it on its head, and I like the way it feels to sing it from the female perspective.
Sounder: How many instruments do you play and do you have a favorite?
RM: I play piano, accordion, guitar and banjo. I love them all but I think the banjo is my favorite. I learned it for fun a few years ago and it continues to be about just that! It’s also been a great writing tool. Whenever I’m stuck on a song I switch over to banjo and the right path reveals itself.
Sounder: You perform four to five shows a week. How do you keep your energy high when performing so much?
RM: The audience has so much to do with it. There is a connection, a conversation, that happens between the performer and the listener, and it’s hard not to be energized when you are a part of that.
Sounder: What is the weirdest venue you have played at and why?
RM: We did a concert in a snail house once, in Bonny Doon, Calif.! And when I say snail house, I mean a house for which the design was based on the inside of a snail shell. It was wild and unforgettable to say the least.
